Planning my first African safari!

[Csnakes03]

Hello everyone! I'm in the process of planning my hunt for next May in South Africa. I won a package deal hunt in an auction at a benefit dinner for the California deer association. It's a 7 night, 6 day hunt with Wesco Safaris(Jaco Wessels is the PH) and we are going to be based out of the Hesuta lodge near Douglas. I've watched a bunch of videos on YouTube about how to prep and pack for a hunt, and this forum has been really helpful as well. At the moment I'm working on securing my flights to and from SA. I'm leaning towards using Delta for most of the trip, and then I'll have to transfer to another airline for the flight from Johannesburg to Kimberley. I'll be traveling with my brother, and my wife, as well as our twin boys who won't quite be 2 years old when we travel(if they didn't go my wife was going to not go either). Any tips or advice would be greatly appreciated with regards to travel, and if we should try and limit our luggage to carryon only, or if checking a bag would be ok. I've seen from a few folks that bags can get delayed if they are checked.
Thanks in advance for any tips and advice! Can't wait to share the experience with all the fine folks on this forum!
-Chris

 

[Osama Mahdi]

Hi Chris,
For adults, they do the laundry everyday except Sunday so no need for over packing. But for the babies it might be different. I take extra set on my backpack and it was useful when my flight delayed for 2 days.
You should ask if they can provide an activities for the wife and the babies such as city tour ( in a safe place) it will be a worthy experience. Perhaps it is a good idea to visit a travel clinic 2 weeks before the travel mainly for the kids.

 

[JimP]

Welcome to the site.

First off I would get in touch with Jennifer at Travel Express. She will take the worry out of your airline tickets and other things involving taking firearms into South Africa if you plan on using your own rifle. If taking your own rifle you will need a US Customs 4457 that is dated in 2025. South African Police believe that the 4457 is a firearm permit and they also think that it expires. I have a copy of one with no dates on it if you need it.

Second I would contact Henry at Rifle Permits.com if you plan on taking your own rifle. He will do a pre approved SAP's 520 form for you and meet you just outside of customs in Joberg and take you through the process. His fee is well worth the cost of it.

On your hunt plan for it to be just 5 days of actual hunting. They figure your first day that they pick you up and the last day that they drop you off as part of the hunt.

Get a price list of the animals that they offer. You don't mention how many or what animals are on your list for the hunt that you won. Contact the outfitter and see if they want cash up front, or if you can use a credit card or send them the balance once you get home for any extra animal that you shoot.

Let the outfitter know that you plan on bringing your toddlers so that he can arrange for anything that you might need that they can pick up for you before you get there.

Cruse the forum here, there isn't a question that you have that hasn't been asked and answered a dozen times, but we'll keep answering them if you ask them here.

 

[Mekaniks]

Congratulations! You will have a blast

 

[Ontario Hunter]

I have raised a few kids and made some lengthy road trips when they were that age but never considered flights and airport layovers like you will encounter on this safari. Better think this through.

If you are considering flying nonstop to Joberg with Delta out of Atlanta or Newark, you will arrive too late to jump on a plane to Kimberly. You'll have to spend the night in a hotel.

 

[375Fox]

Checking a bag is fine. It just needs to be a bag with at least 1 hard side. South African airports are very modern and similar to US airports. Laundry is done daily on almost all African hunts but I think you’d have a difficult time going carry on only with 2 two year olds. South African stores are well stocked so if you forget or need something it’s likely there as well. If you need to stay in Johannesburg for the night I don’t think you can find better than Africa Sky.
I’m sure you’ve thought it through but that’s a long ways to go for 6 days with 2 two year olds. I’m not sure how much you travel otherwise, but it has not been fun flying since 2020. I’ve made it home a few days later than planned on a few trips now due to delays and cancellations. I’d tell you to really reconsider taking everyone. It would be a lot less stress with just you and your brother and opens up a lot more alternative travel options if things don’t go to plan.

 

[Ontario Hunter]

Checking a bag is fine. It just needs to be a bag with at least 1 hard side. South African airports are very modern and similar to US airports. Laundry is done daily on almost all African hunts but I think you’d have a difficult time going carry on only with 2 two year olds. South African stores are well stocked so if you forget or need something it’s likely there as well. If you need to stay in Johannesburg for the night I don’t think you can find better than Africa Sky.
I’m sure you’ve thought it through but that’s a long ways to go for 6 days with 2 two year olds. I’m not sure how much you travel otherwise, but it has not been fun flying since 2020. I’ve made it home a few days later than planned on a few trips now due to delays and cancellations. I’d tell you to really reconsider taking everyone. It would be a lot less stress with just you and your brother and opens up a lot more alternative travel options if things don’t go to plan.

Unless there is something new at Tambo this year, it has been fine for me traveling with a checked bag that is soft all sides. They don't allow bags with loose straps. In the main lobby there's a couple of vendors who for a fee will shrink wrap bags with loose straps. My checked bag has backpack style shoulder straps that can be zipped inside, converting it to conventional bag with handles for carrying. So far no airport or airline has balked at loading it.

Another thing to think about is traveling airlines and airports with a  normal stroller can be/is a nightmare. But you will either have a two-seater or two strollers (going anywhere for a week without a stroller would definitely be a "hardship tour"). The stroller(s) cannot be carryon. If it/they don't keep up with you, that can be a major pain in the arse. I would recommend two "umbrollers" simply for ease of handling. But they require two sets of hands and are much more easily damaged. Infants don't nap in them well (they don't lay back flat) but two year-olds might do okay. Will your outfitter have sleeping accommodations for children that age? Unlikely the lodge will have cribs. Not sure I would want my baby sleeping on the floor that time of year. Too many other things crawling around. Cape cobra comes to mind. Maybe I'm just overthinking this? (Maybe not?)

 

[Altitude sickness]

I’ll be brutally honest. It’s exciting to think you got a great deal on a hunt and don’t want to miss the “opportunity”. But!

I would sell or give your portion of the auction hunt to your hunting partner . Auction hunts to the cape are a dime a dozen. That same hunt or better will be at every hunt banquet in every town across the country again this winter.
Often almost free.

Wait until your kids are older and can remember the trip. 7 days with 2 two year olds is too short and does not sound fun.

If you do end up going. Extend the hunt to 10 or 12 days at the lodge. IF they will match the Daily rate of your current hunt. If the daily rates quoted are priced at retail prices. Wait and look for diff a 10-12 day auction hunt. They are not rare on hunting auctions.

 

[Ontario Hunter]

Unless there is something new at Tambo this year, it has been fine for me traveling with a checked bag that is soft all sides. They don't allow bags with loose straps. In the main lobby there's a couple of vendors who for a fee will shrink wrap bags with loose straps. My checked bag has backpack style shoulder straps that can be zipped inside, converting it to conventional bag with handles for carrying. So far no airport or airline has balked at loading it.

Another thing to think about is traveling airlines and airports with a  normal stroller can be/is a nightmare. But you will either have a two-seater or two strollers (going anywhere for a week without a stroller would definitely be a "hardship tour"). The stroller(s) cannot be carryon. If it/they don't keep up with you, that can be a major pain in the arse. I would recommend two "umbrollers" simply for ease of handling. But they require two sets of hands and are much more easily damaged. Infants don't nap in them well (they don't lay back flat) but two year-olds might do okay. Will your outfitter have sleeping accommodations for children that age? Unlikely the lodge will have cribs. Not sure I would want my baby sleeping on the floor that time of year. Too many other things crawling around. Cape cobra comes to mind. Maybe I'm just overthinking this? (Maybe not?)

Edit: Two umbrollers MIGHT might make it on board as carryon. A two-seater stroller will likely wind up in oversize luggage. It will not come out on the carousel with your other luggage. And the oversize chute is always a mile away from your flight's carousel. Oh, and don't forget how much fun it can be getting strollers through security. I have watched that a couple of times. Do you plan on bringing your own guns AND two babies? That could be a new Olympic event!

 

[AfricaHunting.com]

Welcome to AH Chris!

 

[Hammergun]

Once you're with your outfitter the logistics of having the toddlers along will be easy but, it's a very long flight. The stress level will be high already because it's your first trip. Since we all seem to go back again and again, consider waiting to take the kids. Take them when they're 10 or 12 and they will have great memories of the experience. Whatever you do, I too recommend Jennifer at Travel Express and Africa Sky Guest House.

 

[EC HUNTING SAFARIS]

Welcome to AH Chris. I hope your planning goes well for your first Safari in South Africa.
Best regards, Marius

 

[KMG Hunting Safaris]

Welcome to AH, Chris. All the best with your safari!

 

[sgt_zim]

Delta and UA are chronically late to JNB by several hours, if not outright canceled from time to time. You cannot count on making same-day connecting flights out of JNB. If you're set on Delta, leave 1 or 2 days before you think you should and stay at a nice lodge like https://africasky.co.za

Emirates and Qatar, and probably Turkish, have much better track records of arriving in JNB when they promise they will, and the best assurance your rifle(s) actually get there when you do. The downside to Emirates and Qatar is that total travel time (including layovers) is going to be around 30 hrs.

Choose your poison.

lots of guys here fly Delta or UA. I wouldn't fly either one on a bet.

 

[DLSJR]

Welcome to this website and group. You’ve gotten a good amount of quality advice so far.

I’d think twice, then a 3rd time, about taking two toddlers on a first African hunt. Traveling that far with them may be a bigger adventure than your actual hunt.

Since you bought this at a Cal Deer dinner, we probably live fairly close to each other. I’m not far from Sacramento, regularly travel up as far as Chico on business, so if you’d like to get together by phone or in person, PM me and I’ll be happy to help you.

My first African hunt was long ago, 1983, and it remains the single greatest adventure of my life. You’re going to experience a stellar adventure, but you may want to consider a few tweaks to make it as enjoyable as possible.

 

[Ontario Hunter]

Four safaris and I have had pretty good luck flying the redeye out of Toronto to Joberg with a ~10hr layover during the day in either Frankfurt or Zurich. Never flown Delta or United. First safari I flew South African Air out of Heathrow in London to Joberg. No problems even though two guns in tow. One trip I returned with SA Air. Awful flight. Plane was horribly crowded seating and terrible service. They went belly-up during pandemic but I've heard since resurrected. Usually I'm on Swiss Air or Lufthansa out of and into Europe. Both have been good although Lufthansa gun handling fee is near ridiculous (British Airways is plum ridiculous). Air Canada to and from Europe. Never been entirely smooth sailing with them but nothing significant except weather delays. Last time my guns didn't make the plane home from Toronto but they came in on the last plane that night and I was there waiting. BUY YOURSELF APPLE AIRTAGS TO TRACK ANY IMPORTANT CHECKED LUGGAGE. Those little buggers have revolutionized air travel.

 

[Rare Breed]

Hello everyone! I'm in the process of planning my hunt for next May in South Africa. I won a package deal hunt in an auction at a benefit dinner for the California deer association. It's a 7 night, 6 day hunt with Wesco Safaris(Jaco Wessels is the PH) and we are going to be based out of the Hesuta lodge near Douglas. I've watched a bunch of videos on YouTube about how to prep and pack for a hunt, and this forum has been really helpful as well. At the moment I'm working on securing my flights to and from SA. I'm leaning towards using Delta for most of the trip, and then I'll have to transfer to another airline for the flight from Johannesburg to Kimberley. I'll be traveling with my brother, and my wife, as well as our twin boys who won't quite be 2 years old when we travel(if they didn't go my wife was going to not go either). Any tips or advice would be greatly appreciated with regards to travel, and if we should try and limit our luggage to carryon only, or if checking a bag would be ok. I've seen from a few folks that bags can get delayed if they are checked.
Thanks in advance for any tips and advice! Can't wait to share the experience with all the fine folks on this forum!
-Chris

First congratulations!!! So excited when I see first safaris!!! One of my many safaris was Delta to JNB overnight at city lodge so i don’t leave the airport next morning Airlink to Kimberly which is a very airport to get in and out of

 

[Rare Breed]

easy