Holiday Thread

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HenrysDad

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The wife and I have just returned from nearly a month driving around Botswana and northern South Africa. It was astonishing; the wildlife ,the people and the scenery were all great. I thought that I would share this as there was only one other British person doing this everyone was Dutch or German or South African. Are we Brits cowards? Basically we hired a Toyota Hilux with a tent on top from Johannesburg and having had our itinerary sorted by a great Dutch company off we set. I had always thought that safaris to Botswana were well out of my price range. Not so.
Could we share great holiday experiences we have each had?
 
RoaryRati

RoaryRati

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I'm lucky enough to have a brother-in-law who did/does some of the David Attenborough filming and joined him in Kenya/Mara many years ago for some wild camping - I think some elephant wandered passed our tents one night but I slept through it. My very old zoom lense was used to shoot the photographs of wilderbeast crossing a river that was on the front cover of the Sunday telegraph about 40 years ago.
 
MarkMas

MarkMas

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HenrysDad said:
The wife and I have just returned from nearly a month driving around Botswana and northern South Africa. It was astonishing; the wildlife ,the people and the scenery were all great. I thought that I would share this as there was only one other British person doing this everyone was Dutch or German or South African. Are we Brits cowards? Basically we hired a Toyota Hilux with a tent on top from Johannesburg and having had our itinerary sorted by a great Dutch company off we set. I had always thought that safaris to Botswana were well out of my price range. Not so.
Could we share great holiday experiences we have each had?
Click to expand...

Reminds me of when my youngest son (then 12) and I spent about 3 weeks in Namibia. First half on a truck/camping tour in the south and the second half self-driving (Toyota Hilux of course, but no tent) in the north.
Self-hiring (from random bloke in Windhoek with 4 Toyotas) and self-booking (at random reserves and B&Bs) was a bit chaotic, but also fun and half the price of a Kuoni package.


Namibia 16.png​

 
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Ebenezer

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MarkMas said:
Reminds me of when my youngest son (then 12) and I spent about 3 weeks in Namibia. First half on a truck/camping tour in the south and the second half self-driving (Toyota Hilux of course, but no tent) in the north.
Self-hiring (from random bloke in Windhoek with 4 Toyotas) and self-booking (at random reserves and B&Bs) was a bit chaotic, but also fun and half the price of a Kuoni package.


View attachment 114695​

Click to expand...
Wasn't sure what I had to click on to prove I wasn't a robot
Eb
 
lozcb

lozcb

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HenrysDad said:
I absolutely agree. Happy to share my itinerary and where to go/avoid.
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Cant stress that latter part more strongly , as much as its mostly awe inspiring and jaw dropping , naivety of certain areas can bring the whole scenario crashing down into a nightmare situation , Do your due diligence , follow the advice where to and where not to go and im sure you'll see Africa is the Continent that just keeps on giving
 
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RoaryRati

RoaryRati

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I won't share my pix - too gruesome - we were running along the river bank to get shots of the wilderbeast crossing the river when a lion kill took place 10 feet away on the ground above us (wilderbeast are tastier than humans). Had the chappy on the other side of the bank got a pic it would be worth a fortune.
 
MarkMas

MarkMas

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Our 'big trip' plan is for New Zealand next spring. (I have suggested to MrsMM that we just spend a month in Godalming, but apparently that's not quite the same (but nearly)).

I haven't been in NZ for about 20 years, so recommendations (for NZ and for stopovers) are welcome. Nothing too sporty or LoTRy.

Has anyone been to New Caledonia recently? My last visit was in 1979! Or Bali (1985).
 
H

HenrysDad

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MarkMas said:
Our 'big trip' plan is for New Zealand next spring. (I have suggested to MrsMM that we just spend a month in Godalming, but apparently that's not quite the same (but nearly)).

I haven't been in NZ for about 20 years, so recommendations (for NZ and for stopovers) are welcome. Nothing too sporty or LoTRy.

Has anyone been to New Caledonia recently? My last visit was in 1979! Or Bali (1985).
Click to expand...
My BinL was there this spring so I'll ask him (mind you he drives a Freelander so maybe a bit dodgy). Avoid going via SanFrancisco IMHO as it is a pain going though US.
 
Oneball

Oneball

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MarkMas said:
Our 'big trip' plan is for New Zealand next spring. (I have suggested to MrsMM that we just spend a month in Godalming, but apparently that's not quite the same (but nearly)).

I haven't been in NZ for about 20 years, so recommendations (for NZ and for stopovers) are welcome. Nothing too sporty or LoTRy.

Has anyone been to New Caledonia recently? My last visit was in 1979! Or Bali (1985).
Click to expand...
I’d go back to Moreaki if I was in NZ again. Beach with boulders (google it!) close by are penguins and sealions. I can recommend a self catering place to stay too if you want to go there. There lots of lovely places in NZ but that one sticks in my mind. Some of the mountain forests seem like they’re from The Lost World too.
 
highlander

highlander

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we usually go to kenya in late summer to catch the migration and gambia/senegal in winter for birding (link to one of my folders https://hipflask.smugmug.com/Holidays/Kenya-2011-highlights/i-Lw6w74j ) but for a change going to mauritius in december this year for snorkelling and hopefully a shark dive.............looking forward to it. my usual camera set up will be no use tho so have treated myself to an insta 360 x3, still getting used to not needing to point at what you shoot but enjoying learning a new camera skill.
 
MarkMas

MarkMas

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highlander said:
....my usual camera set up will be no use tho so have treated myself to an insta 360 x3, still getting used to not needing to point at what you shoot but enjoying learning a new camera skill.
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Heely carp! That took me down a whole new rabbit-hole! I didn't even know these things existed. How cool! But I don't think I can face the learning-curve and the effort.

 
highlander

highlander

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learning curve not too steep imo. the phone app is easy but only useful if you plan to post short vids. the computer software is intuative and pretty easy to use although i did need to use videoproc vlogger to stitch and add music to videos.
 
E

Ebenezer

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highlander said:
but for a change going to mauritius in december this year for snorkelling and hopefully a shark dive............
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OK I'll bite!

I know of a great diving school which will get you to the place where you might see these critters

Personally I'd ditch the snorkelling unless you are planning on a catamaran cruise, and just go diving. Quite alot to see in the North of Mauritius.

This was at a dive site called "The Arena" on what the dive schools call their "Shark Safari"

sharks.jpg

sharks-2.jpgsharks-3.jpg

There's another location in the same vicinity called "The Cathedral" which has epic lighting and where you can see sharks too

sharks-4.jpg

sharks-5.jpg

Eb
 
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Guy

Guy

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2,135
MarkMas said:
Our 'big trip' plan is for New Zealand next spring. (I have suggested to MrsMM that we just spend a month in Godalming, but apparently that's not quite the same (but nearly)).

I haven't been in NZ for about 20 years, so recommendations (for NZ and for stopovers) are welcome. Nothing too sporty or LoTRy.

Has anyone been to New Caledonia recently? My last visit was in 1979! Or Bali (1985).
Click to expand...
That reminded me of the Al Murray alter ego the Pub Landlord explaining the countries of the world - New Zealand! What's that all about? 24 hours on a plane to wake up in Scotland!
 
highlander

highlander

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MarkMas said:
Heely carp! That took me down a whole new rabbit-hole! I didn't even know these things existed. How cool! But I don't think I can face the learning-curve and the effort.

Click to expand...
lol, still toying with getting the magnet for cars but..........had a bad experience before with them, lost a gopro at only 40 mph....and given this badboy is £500, i am not keen on tempting fate again!. I have tried with the 3m invisible selfie out of the sunroof and passenger window whilst in the cayenne going over the inverness bridge, looks like a drone following us and swinging round the car, seems to work well!
 
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