Deciding best place to go in August - would love help!

[claassenam]

My husband and I are looking for the best possible trip for August 2007 to celebrate his finishing law school/taking the bar. We've been taking advantage of law school breaks to see quite a few locations - China, Japan, India, Egypt, Peru, and will have this one last stretch of time before real life sets in and it will be tough to travel! We're thinking about either an African Safari (but where in Africa), Russia or Eastern Europe, or Southeast Asia - Thailand, Laos, Vietnam....so many choices! Weather is a huge factor as I think it's stinking hot in Asia and maybe not a great time to see the wildlife in certain parts of Africa. Any advice, if you've been to any of these locations at that time of year and can give recommendations, would be much appreciated. We've done the Western Europe thing to death and don't really want to lie on the beach for 3 weeks but I'd love to hear about other parts of the world I haven't mentioned if you've had a most memorable experience! Thanks in advance!

[omegaet]

claassenam wrote:
My husband and I are looking for the best possible trip for August 2007 to celebrate his finishing law school/taking the bar. We've been taking advantage of law school breaks to see quite a few locations - China, Japan, India, Egypt, Peru, and will have this one last stretch of time before real life sets in and it will be tough to travel! We're thinking about either an African Safari (but where in Africa), Russia or Eastern Europe, or Southeast Asia - Thailand, Laos, Vietnam....so many choices! Weather is a huge factor as I think it's stinking hot in Asia and maybe not a great time to see the wildlife in certain parts of Africa. Any advice, if you've been to any of these locations at that time of year and can give recommendations, would be much appreciated. We've done the Western Europe thing to death and don't really want to lie on the beach for 3 weeks but I'd love to hear about other parts of the world I haven't mentioned if you've had a most memorable experience! Thanks in advance!

classenam..destination south of equator will help you with the weather....if you go to Kenya and/or Tanzania in late August you should be able to witness the migration southward out of the Masi Mara (we took a sunriseballoon rideabove the migrating Wildbeast and Zebras heading south into Tanzania....very impressive). The weather tends to be dry at that time of year....best for seeing the animals at their favorite watering holes. Check www.safaris.com. The owner is Sue and she is one of the best in the private safari business.



Peru is another good choice at that time of year. The Orient-Express package offered here on LL is fabulous...we still talk about the Hotel Monasterio inCuzco, the train ride to Aguas Caliente and the Sanctuary Lodge at Machu Picchu....a very mystical place. The OE staff will treat you like the important people you are.

[claassenam]

Thanks Omegaet - Africa sounds great (I think that would be our first choice) but I wasn't sure where exactly on the continent would be best that time of year to see the wildlife - your suggestions are very helpful. The hot air balloon sounds amazing.

I think we've both been posting about how great the Orient Express Peru trip is - I agree, as we did that in November. What a great package, I keep raving about it to everybody! We're not at all important people but we certainly felt that we were thanks to the excellent service....

[omegaet]

claassenam wrote:
Thanks Omegaet - Africa sounds great (I think that would be our first choice) but I wasn't sure where exactly on the continent would be best that time of year to see the wildlife - your suggestions are very helpful. The hot air balloon sounds amazing.

I think we've both been posting about how great the Orient Express Peru trip is - I agree, as we did that in November. What a great package, I keep raving about it to everybody! We're not at all important people but we certainly felt that we were thanks to the excellent service....

claassenam....sorry about the duplication on the Orient-Express Peru package.....I just noticed your posting. It was a fab trip. LL doesn't offer any East Africa trips, they only focus on South Africa (which is nice as well). However, we think East Africa is still the real Africa we all dream about.....drop an email to Sue at the link I gave you in the earlier post. She is a real sweetheart and usually makes two trips a year to East Africa. Remember, in East Africa, most of the animals you see will be in national parks.....in South Africa, most of them will be in private or government preserves.

[rita rayman]

August is a great time to go to Africa. It is the dry season. Vegetation is more sparseand therefore animals are easier to spot. Theyalso tend togather near the scarse watering holes. Combine a safari in a private reserve in the northern reaches ofSouth Africa with a few days on and around the Zambezi river in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe. Spenda few days exploring the wine region of Franschoeck, South Africa and finish off with a few days of history, culture and shopping for souvenirs in the beautiful little city of Cape Town, with it's dramatic mountains and spectacular seascape. You can even go into the water with Great White Sharksin the nearbytown of Hermanus. And all of these opportunities are available through properties listed on Luxurylink.

[mary-j]

I have been considering doing a safari for the past three years but still not got round to actually going on one. We did book Sabi Sabi Earth lodge last year but due to personal circumstances we had to cancel. I still intend on doing one, but there is such a vast range of possibilities that I am not sure which to go for. I have only ever considered South Africa as I am not sure how difficult it would be to get to the other safari destinations from the UK. Omegaet, I would love to hear more about your safari. I went on to the website you recommended but it was unable to come on. It just kept saying there was an error! I will try again later. I would like to go to a lodge which is fairly small and would prefer it if our accommodation had a private plunge pool and with excellent views too. There are lots of private camps which fit the bill including Sabi Sabi, Ulusaba, Leopards Hill to name a few. These are all in S. Africa though. You had said that August is a good time to go. What sort of temperatures are we talking about at this time? August would be ideal for us as we go to Thailand in April so that is a perfect break between one holiday and the next. My husband always leaves the choice of holidays to me, but I know he would love to go on a safari. He never knew I had booked Sab Sabi so I never told him since we had to cancel but it would be a lovely surprise for him if I booked to go on one. Ideally, I would love to go when there is very little rain but also when it is fairly warm. I think the smaller camps would be best and would prefer to go out on the jeeps which only have 4-6 passengers maximum. I would love to get all your tips and advice from all you veterans out there who can advise me on the best safari destination and which camp is best. Also, how many days would you recommend spending on the safari and some ideas for another hotes/resort to twin it with? Cheers and Thanks in advance for all your help.

[claassenam]

Thanks for the in-depth information Rita, this is great! As I said, we are leaning towards Africa in August and you have reassured me that would be a good time of year to go. I've noticed a few bits and pieces of a possible trip through Luxury Link, I think a start in South Africa would be great but I'm also interested in Botswana and Tanzania. Have you been to either of these countries? I wonder how they compare with the Kenya and South Africa game parks at that time of year?

[jashermd]

Hello,

If you're interested in a safari, I'd highly recommend Botswana - the weather is ideal and it has a true feeling of remoteness that you'll have a hard time finding in East Africa. The camps are small and exclusive, and the wilderness areas are divided into huge private concessions with only one or two small camps so crowds are never a factor.

I'd recommend splitting your time between the Okavango Delta and the Linyanti regions, and including a visit to the Makgadikgadi Pans if you can.

The Delta is pure magic - a watery wilderness in the middle of the Kalahari. I'd recommend spending time at two camps in the Delta, one with mixed land and water activities and one land-only camp. In general, the land-only camps tend to have better game-viewing but the water activities are a big part of the Delta experience. You'll want around three days at each camp to really enjoy it.

For your mixed water and land camp, I'd recommend looking at Little Vumbura - this is one of my favourite camps and has very good game-viewing as well as a full range of water and land activities. LV is small and intimate and friendly, but if you want something more luxurious you might want to look into Vumbura Plains, its larger, posher sister camp.

For a land-only Delta camp, the best game-viewing in Botswana (arguably in Africa) can be found at Mombo. I spent five days at Mombo on my last trip, and even as a single traveller paying the single supplement it was worth every penny. Personally I like Mombo (the main camp) but some people prefer Little Mombo, the smaller sister camp. If Mombo is a bit outside your budget, I'd recommend Chitabe (or Chitabe Trails, its sister camp). You'll want 3-4 days at this camp.

I'd also recommend around 4 days in the Linyanti. August is the dry season, so you'll see huge herds of elephants and buffalo. If you like elephants, you should look into staying at Savuti Camp - there is a woodpile hide in front of the camp where you can sit and literally be one with the herd. August is also one of the best times to see African wild dogs and their pups, which should just be emerging from the den.

Cheers,
Julian

[jashermd]

Hello Mary-J,

I've noticed a couple of posts from you about going on safari -- I'm also from the UK and go on safari a couple of times a year. It's really easy to get to Southern Africa - an overnight flight to Joburg and a short hop to your game reserve of choice, and you can be in the bush in time for lunch. There are easy connections to Botswana and Zambia from Joburg, and you can fly directly into Windhoek (for Namibia). In South Africa there are flights from Joburg to the Sabi Sands.

Since you want a small lodge with private plunge pools you should probably be looking at South Africa -- not many lodges in other countries have private plunge pools yet. I'd recommend Singita in the Sabi Sands - VERY luxurious and with great animal sightings. The Sabi Sands has the best game-viewing in South Africa, especially for leopard. I was at Singita in July and it was wonderful. I saw two little leopard cubs close enough to touch! You'll want at least three and ideally 4 nights on safari in the Sabi Sands.

If you want some beach time, there are direct connections to Mozambique from the international airport near the Sabi Sands. Or you could go to Cape Town and the Winelands for some luxurious R&R. LL often has packages from Le Quartier Francais, the top hotel in the Winelands, and from the Twelve Apostles, one of the best hotels in Cape Town. This would be my choice but I'm not really a beach person...

Cheers,
Julian

[cruisinred]

You have 2 great options to consider: Africa and South East Asia. Since everyone has commented on the safari option (which sounds wonderful, of course), I'll try to help with Thailand, Vietnam and Laos as I just did a simliar trip last year.



First off, even staying in top luxury properties the Asia trip would be a fraction of the price of the Africa trip. How long would your trip be?



If you have a few more days to add, I would also suggest including a trip to Angkor Wat in Cambodia if you are at all intersted in archeological ruins and ancient civilzations.



If you are looking to include beach time while in Thailand, do be aware that it is the rainy season on the west side of the Thai peninsula in places such as Phuket and Krabi. While this does not necessarily mean constant rain, you might want to consider Koh Samui in Thailand or Nha Trang in Vietnam for beach time instead.



Here are a few suggestions for top places to stay in the countries you mentioned:



Bangkok- The Pensinsula and the Oriental

Koh Samui- Four Seasons, Evason Hideaway

Laos (Luang Prabang)- Maison Souvannaphoum or La Residence Phou Vao

Hanoi Vietnam - Sofitel Metropole

Nha Trang Vietnam- Evason Hideaway

Siem Reap (Angkor Wat) Cambodia- Hotel de la Paix, Amansara