Considering a safari for 50th anniversary, any suggestions for timeshare resorts that would be suitable? Thinking September/October but any other recommendations welcome. Seasoned travelers but never done a safari. Thanks!
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Timeshares recommended (if any) for first time safari?
- Thread starter kcgriffin
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We stayed at Burchell's Bush Lodge via RCI in Jan 2013 and loved it. The location is minutes from the Kruger Gate of Kruger National Park. We signed up from the onsite activity desk for a night-time safari drive ... but otherwise did our own driving into the park every day. We did great on our own!
RNCollins
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Hi @kcgriffin, congratulations on your milestone! May you have many more happy years together.
First off I don’t know if the parks mentioned below are open.
If you are interested in going to South Africa / Greater Kruger National Park, there are some timeshares that are situated outside one entrance point into the park. You would either rent a car and drive yourself through the park (on roads) or you would hire a guide and ride in a Land Rover / Jeep type car for a game drive. Some people do a mix of both: guided Safari and self drive. There is both public and private lodging within the park, some very basic, some luxurious. Also, If you have time Cape Town is a beautiful city to visit. There are timeshares in Cape Town and also scattered around South Africa.
Another option for a safari is Kenya to visit the the Masai Mara area.
If it was me for my 50th Anniversary and money was no object, I would connect with a travel/safari agent and go all out - get a luxurious tent with a pool outside your window, where the animals come up to drink. Luxury bedding, big tub, fluffy towels. I would be nice to be spoiled for a week and waited on with meal service and game drives in the park. One lodging company I can think of right off the top of my head is called &Beyond.
First off I don’t know if the parks mentioned below are open.
If you are interested in going to South Africa / Greater Kruger National Park, there are some timeshares that are situated outside one entrance point into the park. You would either rent a car and drive yourself through the park (on roads) or you would hire a guide and ride in a Land Rover / Jeep type car for a game drive. Some people do a mix of both: guided Safari and self drive. There is both public and private lodging within the park, some very basic, some luxurious. Also, If you have time Cape Town is a beautiful city to visit. There are timeshares in Cape Town and also scattered around South Africa.
Another option for a safari is Kenya to visit the the Masai Mara area.
If it was me for my 50th Anniversary and money was no object, I would connect with a travel/safari agent and go all out - get a luxurious tent with a pool outside your window, where the animals come up to drink. Luxury bedding, big tub, fluffy towels. I would be nice to be spoiled for a week and waited on with meal service and game drives in the park. One lodging company I can think of right off the top of my head is called &Beyond.
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I can not compare what South Africa offers (as I have not been there), but a safari in Kenya can easily give you two parks in a very short amount of time. Masai Mara (of course), and then 5 or so hours past that is Lake Nakuru. Lake Nakuru is famous for its flamingoes, but water levels rising on the lake have made them less plentiful. Very different vegetation and animals here. For both I would get a guide, I honestly would never drive there and you will see more with a guide (they know where the animals are and when, they will also keep you safer IMO). For MM, it is easy to see online which camps are inside the park, some are luxury tents, and others look like mud huts with thatched roofs. Different price points of course, it depends what level of luxury (and food quality) you're aiming for.
The second thing I love about Kenya, is the coastal area outside of Mombassa. Diani beach is especially pretty (a little South of Mombassa). It would be easy to combine a safari and coastal trip here. There is only one timeshare in Interval for Kenya, located near Malindi (the coastline North of Mombassa) -- it is a 4* star hotel.
Good luck on your travel plans and congratulations on your upcoming anniversary!
Cheers,
Michelle
The second thing I love about Kenya, is the coastal area outside of Mombassa. Diani beach is especially pretty (a little South of Mombassa). It would be easy to combine a safari and coastal trip here. There is only one timeshare in Interval for Kenya, located near Malindi (the coastline North of Mombassa) -- it is a 4* star hotel.
Good luck on your travel plans and congratulations on your upcoming anniversary!
Cheers,
Michelle
ScoopKona
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When I lived in East Africa -- safaris were best booked in country. Booking from home meant that your safari passed through several middle-men, each one jacking up the price along the way.
I went with several different companies. And there was no real rhyme or reason connecting price, quality and comfort. Everyone always compared notes on the ride to the game preserves -- a land Rover with six people in it could have six wildly different prices paid.
And unless things have improved considerably with the roads there, suspension troubles are to be expected. If you have a smooth ride with no breakdowns and no issues, consider yourself lucky. (Travelers can become angry and frustrated. Or they can just look at the scenery -- it's Africa, after all. There was also the person who lost their mind during a breakdown. If that person had limited time in country, they were more likely to become upset.)
I also met more than a few high-end travelers who did balloon safaris, and luxury accommodations in the game park. "There was a salt lick and they'd call the room when the animals arrived. Ring, ring. The cheetahs are here."
I can't speak about that, as I didn't travel that way. I was part of the backpacking set when I lived in Africa.
I went with several different companies. And there was no real rhyme or reason connecting price, quality and comfort. Everyone always compared notes on the ride to the game preserves -- a land Rover with six people in it could have six wildly different prices paid.
And unless things have improved considerably with the roads there, suspension troubles are to be expected. If you have a smooth ride with no breakdowns and no issues, consider yourself lucky. (Travelers can become angry and frustrated. Or they can just look at the scenery -- it's Africa, after all. There was also the person who lost their mind during a breakdown. If that person had limited time in country, they were more likely to become upset.)
I also met more than a few high-end travelers who did balloon safaris, and luxury accommodations in the game park. "There was a salt lick and they'd call the room when the animals arrived. Ring, ring. The cheetahs are here."
I can't speak about that, as I didn't travel that way. I was part of the backpacking set when I lived in Africa.
northwoodsgal
TUG Member
Wherever you stay, I would highly recommend doing a nighttime safari.