2013 African Trip

[TraceyK90]

I had been planning a US trip next year for the family holiday, when one of the kids said no to Hawaii and Disney he wants to go to Africa. My first thoughts were nah too expensive kiddo but after looking at the prices and timings, it would only be marginally more so, about 200 per person. So I think he might be onto something, smart kid!

So my questions are, has anyone flown on South African Airways lately, last time I did it was about ten years ago, it was comparable to Qantas at the time. We would go BNE-SYD-JBG-WDH and then back. Qantas doe the Sydney to JBG and SAA do the Perth flight.

Has anyone been to Vic Falls lately and can recommend things to do/places to stay? It is on my bucket list but i am not sure about taking kids. Would it be best to fly from Windhoek to Vic Falls or JBurg. We would plan on spending most of our time in Namibia and possibly Botswana. We had lived there so would love to go back and show the kids. Hubster has also spent a lot of time in South Africa as another option. It I think I prefer Nam, I feel quite safe going there and a week in Etosha would be great with the kids. They would be 8,7 and 5.

Ideas or suggestions?

 

[browski]

Hi Tracey,

First of all note that Johannesburg is JNB.

If you wish to fly to Windhoek from JNB then the Qantas flight from Sydney connects with both the SAA and Air Namibia flight. The SAA flight connection is very tight though and in my experience JNB airport has a 2/3 failure rate of transferring luggage. So.........this means you'd be best booking the Air Namibia flight and collecting your luggage, clearing customs and rechecking in. However on the downside, this particular Air Namibia B737 appeared to be the first one ever to roll out of the Boeing plant, and when we hit the air pockets flying over the Namibia mountains, I wished I was on another aircraft. There is a British Airways option from JNB-WDH but it won't connect with your QF arrival and you'd need to spend the night in JNB.

Secondly, to view Victoria Falls, you can do this from either Zambia, Zimbabwe or Botswana. My advice would be to view it from the Livingstone, Zambia side. You can even walk over to the Zimbabwe side without a visa if you wish. To get to Livingstone you can fly British Airways from JNB or Air Namibia from WDH.

In Windhoek there is not too much to see, but it is a very safe, clean city (German clean freaks). Gaborone is also very safe. Making the trip to Maun and seeing the Okavango Delta and all the wildlife would be worthwhile. You can fly to Maun from WDH, JNB, CPT, GBE or even from Livingstone.

If it was me, I'd fly to JNB for a few days, then fly to Vic Falls on BA. Then fly to Maun on Air Namibia (or hub back through JNB). Then fly from Maun to WDH and then to CPT. More things to do in CPT than in WDH.

 

[TraceyK90]

Thanks, can you tell me when you were there? I am after some recent experiences, particluarly with Air Namibia. It was a pretty variable experience when I last flew it.

I agree the air pockets are hairy, the Desert create some interesting weather patterns. The worst flight I found was the flight from Windhoek to Swakopmund, it's on a much smaller plane as well. I think I prayed the whole flight and never did it again, the roads were safer!

I won't be spending anymore than a night in Windhoek, we'd head straight down south and loop back around I think. I have heard things have improved greatly in the last 10 years. There use to be a SAA flight to Walvis Bay but it doesn't seem to operate anymore. Might take a bit of digging around. I think there is one from The Cape but I had't thought about spending time there. Could be good to do some of the wine country around there. You have me thinking about it now.

Good pick up on the code, I used a software one. I am sure I'll do it again.

 

[Jmrocky]

I've flown several times with SAA recently. Planes fairly good, F&B good and service ok. Only annoying thing I found was if you didn't book through SAA.com you cannot check in online (though they are working on this apparently). Overall not too much difference from Qantas.

Re; Vic Falls, if you're up for it I would stay in Zimbabwe. The accommodation is much closer to the falls and the view is better. From Zambia it's basically a side on view, from Zim front on (roughly). Factor in Visa costs as well. Huge range of activities (rafting, aerolight flights, Zambezi cruises etc.). If you go when it is dry season then obviously the falls aren't as large. I was there at the end of the dry, and it was not as big as after the wet season, however it's still an amazing place. If you go shortly after the wet you'll get the huge falls effect, but then it makes it difficult to see (It's not called Mosi oa Tunya "smoke that thunders" for nothing!)

From the sounds of it you've lived in Namibia, there and Kenya are my favourite African countries. I loved Namibia, particularly Etosha and it's camps with the waterholes right out the front. Sounds like you'll have a great trip.