Critique my 8 week travel plan (SA, Moz, Tanzania, Namibia)

[poorstudentdiver]

Hello everyone! This will my first time in Africa so I'm a bit overwhelmed. I have 8 weeks in Aug-Sep 2021. I've done some research on dive spots I want to go to as well as the best times to go. I'm aware that July-September is Winter/Spring in Africa. I love big creatures, especially sharks. It would be a dream to see hammerheads.

Please give me any advice on anything I'm missing, anything I should prioritize, or if my plan is unrealistic. If you've done a similar trip and have a travel blog/vlog you want to share, I would love to read it.

I am points-rich but cash-poor. I have 200k+ airline miles between United and American, and I'm hoping to use the United Excursionist Perk as well. I realize that public transport isn't as developed as say, SE Asia. I'm aware that I'll have to fly between some of these countries. I am okay saving Namibia and Tanzania for another time.

I'm also aware that there's a lot of uncertainty with covid, and that countries may close their borders at any time. I am vaccinated, though I know the vaccine doesn't work on all strains. I am okay with that risk.


Week 1
Fly to Capetown
Diving: Try to catch sardine run (I read that the sardine run season ends in July, but I'm thinking maybe they'll still be around on Aug 1), Cage diving with great whites

Week 2
Namibia parks

Week 3-4
Victoria falls + Mozambique

Diving in Mozambique: Benguerra Island, Medjumbe Island, Ponta do Ouro (if time allows)

Week 5-6
Tanzania – Serengeti + Zanzibar

Week 7-8
Back to South Africa

Dive: Sodwana Bay, Protea Banks (I read hammerhead season starts in October but hoping I can catch them at the end of September), Aliwal Shoal

 

[DiveClimbRide]

Well I can't really comment due to a lack of knowledge of most of it but what I do know is that Durban is know for the sardine run and not Cape Town. As well Durban is much warmer diving. Cape Town gets as cold as 10c on the Atlantic side

 

[Hoag]

For the time that you have allotted near Victoria Falls, I have heard very good things about a company called Pangolin Photo Safaris. I have not used them myself, but they look like they run a class act.


Just a thought.

 

[Fires]

Hey Hey, sounds like you have some awesome diving ahead.

So the best places (as far as I know) to catch most of the Sardine run is Protea and Aliwal Shoal.

I can make some good suggestions for who to dive with in both places, as well as Sodwana. Guys that we dive with regularly and take all of our clients on trips too.

Let me know if you need that info or if you are already sorted We have some incredible diving here that you are going to love!

 

[GF99/99]

Wow that looks like an amazing trip you have planned!!

2 years ago I did a SA, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, trip and its probably one the the most amazing adventures I have ever been on and that is bold statement for me to make as I have probably been to about 80+ countries. Next year plan to do a Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, Malawi, Mozambique trip.

Sadly I did not do any diving during my trip so I can not comment on that but I can say I went in April and walking on the beach the water was pretty cold. But the I did have the time of my life there.

Well not to sure where to start with commenting on your post but I guess I will start with travel I see you are talking about points, I am also a United guy but when I flew there I was coming from Istanbul and picking up my girlfriend that was living in Marseille at the time. So we flew Lufthansa and SA airlines to Johannesburg so yes both are Star Alliance plus you get to use the lounges (I'm Premier 1K) I am not to sure where you coming from or what your route is however there should be lots of Star Alliance option to get there. Also one other tip about traveling is make sure you check visa requirements. I see it looks like your from the US, I to have a US passport (but live in Indonesia/Australia) and did not have any visa issues except trying to get into Angola (last minute plan but did not work) but just double check.

Once you are there the problem is everything is very spread out, it kind of reminded me of traveling in Myanmar there is no good way to get to all the places you want to see except spending your free time in airports taking small flights around. So what we did was rent a 4x4 Toyota fully setup for camping and did a 6,000km 5 week road trip. I think this is partly what made it one of the best trips I have ever taken. If you do some google searching you will quickly find out there are tons and tons of car rental companies as this seems to be the way most people see this part of the world especially all the South African's I would say 70-80% of the people we met were from SA doing a family road trip. The cars are usually Toyota Hilux's or 70 series ours came fully setup with dual diesel tanks, 3 spare tires yes you head that right 3 and we used 2 of them and a radiator, fold out roof tent, cooler/fridge, all the camping stuff you could ever need; sleeping stuff, chairs, table, propane stove and cooking supplies, etc. Now don't worry its not going to be all camping once you start doing some more google searching you will soon find out that everywhere you go there is little "camp resorts" some fancier than others. But the average nice one will have individual camp spots with fire pits and wood, showers, a restaurant, pool, and hotel rooms (if you don't feel like camping that night) You will also find "lodges" in all the touristy spots but you will also find the other extreme where it is just a camp spot and nothing else.

Now for things to see I wont go into much detail about all the major cities as we did not spend much time in them maybe a night or two just driving through, we did Kruger Park in SA but that was it for SA (need to go back for more) our main trip intent was to see Namibia but Kruger is absolutely stunning!! Next we did Botswana and this was our most favorite of the entire trip and we actually wish we would have spent more time here. If you have to spend a good amount of time in Moremi and Chobe National Parks. If you like wildlife this place will blow you away. It is very raw and natural, you will almost never see another person while you out and about, and the wildlife is just crazy, you will literally loose count of how many elephants you see. Twice we had them walk right through one of our camp spots (actually a little scary). The entire park is just 4x4 trails that zig zag everywhere and we saw everything right up close out the car window with no one around. Sometime we would just pull up to a group of lions 5 meters away and just sit and watch them for hours or eat breakfast in front of a lake full of 20+ hippos.

Vic Falls as expected is very touristy but after you have been in the "bush" for a week or two its a nice civilization brake. Crossing over the boarder into Zimbabwe/Zambia was a little interesting we were given a very hard time about driving in and they wanted lots of money from us. The Caprivi strip on the Namibia/Angola boarder is full of life too and camping on the river boarder is wonderful. We also did Etosha Park which was wonderful in its own way but we found it to be pretty dry and arid, the camping is wonderful though in Etosha spending sunsets overlooking a waterhole with rhinos, elephants, kudu, springbok, gemsbok all in the same place is pretty magical.

We also drove the skeleton coast which is very interesting scenery and the contrast of the ocean meeting the desert is breathtaking. Some other very interesting places were Kolmanskop and abandoned town that is half over taken by sand dunes and Sossusvlei which is a must see. The camping/lodges on the way to Sossusvlei are breathtaking I distinctively remember treating out self to one called The Moon Mountain Lodge MOON MOUNTAIN LODGE - Updated 2021 Prices & Reviews (Solitaire, Namibia) - Tripadvisor after roughing it for a while camping. Once you get to Sossusvlei there is so much desert scenery to see its a photographers dream.

I would say your plan looks pretty sold but you might find you a little rushed depending on what you want to see and how to plan to get to the places you want to see. I think you will find you need to spend a decent amount of time driving to get to places.

 

[Sunn]

Nice plan ! You'll be dead tired after half of it, I think

Are you aware of the situation in north Mozambique ? Be careful to have a good plan for your flights, the distance is huge.... certainly not to do by road nowadays and as you go to Tanzania after Mozambique, perhaps begin in Ponta do Ouro (visit Mike at Blowing Bubbles ! ) and then go north to the islands....

 

[jfe]

Closest you'll get to the sardine run from CT is Port Alfred where it usually starts. Great places to catch it is along the Wild Coast (Port St Johns and north towards Durban). But it's already started you'll be too late
Sardine Run 2021 could reach KZN between early June and late July (iol.co.za)

In Cape Town you have good diving but that time of year, it's drysuit time unless you have good mobility and can manage a 7mm. As you go East it gets warmer, your dives on the East coast will be 5mm (Indian Ocean) and diving in all those locations are really fantastic. If I may be a blunt, for Sodwana I recommend Reef Teach and in Aliwal, Aliwal Dive Center. You can do a baited shark dive in open water with them as well, worth it believe me.
(disclaimer, I have no ties to either of these operators, this is purely from personal experience)

Haven't dived the other Mozambique locations but Ponta is fabulous . Just have a look at the northern locations, do a search there was a recent mass murder at the oil and gas operations in the northern part of Moz, it's a volatile area so check it out properly.
For the great white dives you may come to my home town, Mossel Bay. Water will be as cold as CT.

Zanzibar is great diving, but mainland Tanzania not as much. I also think you are too late for the migration but still the Serengeti is awesome.

 

[widget]

Hello everyone! This will my first time in Africa so I'm a bit overwhelmed. I have 8 weeks in Aug-Sep 2021. I've done some research on dive spots I want to go to as well as the best times to go. I'm aware that July-September is Winter/Spring in Africa. I love big creatures, especially sharks. It would be a dream to see hammerheads.

Please give me any advice on anything I'm missing, anything I should prioritize, or if my plan is unrealistic. If you've done a similar trip and have a travel blog/vlog you want to share, I would love to read it.

I am points-rich but cash-poor. I have 200k+ airline miles between United and American, and I'm hoping to use the United Excursionist Perk as well. I realize that public transport isn't as developed as say, SE Asia. I'm aware that I'll have to fly between some of these countries. I am okay saving Namibia and Tanzania for another time.

I'm also aware that there's a lot of uncertainty with covid, and that countries may close their borders at any time. I am vaccinated, though I know the vaccine doesn't work on all strains. I am okay with that risk.


Week 1
Fly to Capetown
Diving: Try to catch sardine run (I read that the sardine run season ends in July, but I'm thinking maybe they'll still be around on Aug 1), Cage diving with great whites - As mentioned Sardines are usually dived and viewed off Durban, but its really moot as the run has already started and will be long gone by July / Aug. Cage diving with great whites is very iffy, they have not been seen for months, (some would suggest longer) you of course may be lucky, but chance is slim, sorry but this is just the way it is and no one seems to know conclusively why they have moved off.

Week 2
Namibia parks - This seems a bit odd, why not finish your SA leg first as you will be here already, getting to Namibia is not difficult but Covid restrictions and reduced flights mean you may waste a lot of time travelling.

Week 3-4
Victoria falls + Mozambique - Again SA is very close to Mozambique, no problem with the diving thoughts, just plan first Mozambique, then Victoria falls. Remember public travel in Mozambique and Zimbabwe / Zambia is very hit and miss, flights are often heavily delayed or at worst get cancelled, often, even with confirmed bookings, keep this leg flexible.

Diving in Mozambique: Benguerra Island, Medjumbe Island, Ponta do Ouro (if time allows)

Week 5-6
Tanzania – Serengeti + Zanzibar - Seems fine.

Week 7-8
Back to South Africa - I have been diving Protea Bank, Aliwal shoal and Sodwana for the better part of 35 years and I have never heard of Hammerhead season, you may find Hammerheads on your dive off Protea or Aliwal, but as for a committed season...........!!
Also remember the distance between Protea Banks (Durban) and Sodwana Bay is quite substantial, a comfortable drive will take you 5 hours one way, longer if you do a bit of sight seeing along the way. If time is important you need to understand distances in SA are fairly big and factor that in.

Dive: Sodwana Bay, Protea Banks (I read hammerhead season starts in October but hoping I can catch them at the end of September), Aliwal Shoal

Otherwise, enjoy your time, its a great country with much to offer the tourist other than diving, (eg) in Cape Town a week is possibly too little, in Sodwana, a week is possibly too much, all my opinion of course,... I wish you well.