General Info

I hope the general info answers most of your questions South Africa and Mozambique are safe places if you stick with your guide. You need 3 open pages in your passport!!! With no stamps in!!!! We stay in high end very luxurious accommodation. On suite double beds with warm blankets for the chilly nights. Weather is cold but nice during the day in winter.

Long pants. Short or long sleeve with a jacket for in case of a late afternoon hunting. Just a 2 hour drive from OR Tambo airport (JNB). Laundry is done regularly. We are a malaria free area. And no inoculations needed. Except for the trips to Mozambique A first aid kit is always at hand. Ample time will be spend on photography. There are shopping malls not to far from lodge if you need anything specific.

Dip and pack or taxidermy are done in house. At low cost. Small 50$. Medium 95$. Large 125$. Extra Large 250$(Hippo Rhino Giraffe Buffalo).  Price includes back skins. Bare in mind it takes space in crate and might bring up shipping charges. Taxidermy prices med 490$ large 590$. Extra large 790$. Dip pack and taxidermy excludes crating and shipping.

Fully equipped kitchen. There will be ample food and drinks all inclusive in packages. Any specific request on meals and drinks, hard and soft, are welcome. There are always drinks on the vehicle.

High quality Rifles and bows are available if you dont want to bring your own. We have a variety of caliber's 243wm Sako /Remington 700 270w Tikka 300wm Tikka 375h&h Sako 460g&a. CZ. 12g s/s All rifles equipped wit Night force and Swarovski scopes

Travel Tips

Climate information

Month Average High Average Low Hours of sunshine
May 77 F 44 F 9
June 71 F 37 F 9
July 71 F 35 F 10
August 78 F 42 F 10
September 82 F 51 F 10

Time Difference

South Africa from May-Sept will be 6 hours ahead of Eastern Standard time in the USA ( 6am in the US is 12 noon in South Africa)

Banks & Money

The currency unit is the Rand, denoted by the symbol R, with 100 cents making up R1 (one Rand). Foreign currency can be exchanged at local banks, and at the airport. Most major international credit cards such as American Express, Diners Club, MasterCard, Visa, and their affiliates are widely accepted.

Tipping

This is a subject we do not like to talk about, but are often ask what the guidelines are. This is what we have come up with as generally understood in this industry and this is solely up to the individual and the service they are provided. Your guide or PH (Professional Hunter) will average between 5-10 % of the total cost of your safari. He will be with you from sunup to sundown. The Game Ranger average is $5-10 per day and this should be given to your personal guide so he can get it to the game ranger in a lump sum at the end of your stay at that lodge.

Clothing

The seasons in the Southern Hemisphere are directly opposite to those of the Northern Hemisphere, so the US summer is the African Winter. Looking at the average weather above during the photo safari season, it will be cold when the sun goes down and warm during the mid days hours so you will need to dress in layers. Temperatures at night can dip below freezing and the air is quite cool so come prepared. There should be almost no chance of rain during this time, but occasionally there is a rain shower

Electricity

South Africa's electricity supply : 220/230 volts AC 50 Hz. Exceptions : Pretoria (230 V) and Port Elizabeth (200 / 250 V). Most plugs have three round pins but some plugs with two smaller pins are also found on appliances. US made appliances will need a transformer http://www.walkabouttravelgear.com/elect.htm. You will also most likely need a South African Plug adapter http://www.walkabouttravelgear.com/8G.htm.

Food & Water

As a rule, tap water in South Africa is safe to drink, as it is treated and is free of harmful micro-organisms. In hotels, restaurants and night spots, the standards of hygiene and food preparation is top notch. It is safe to eat fresh fruit and salads and to put as much ice as you like in your drinks , a good thing too after a day on the beach or in the bush.

Food at the Lodges is served Buffet style and there are plenty of choices to suite everyone, one cold soda, water or coffee is included with each meal.

Vaccinations

Visitors who are entering South Africa from a yellow fever zone must have a valid international yellow fever inoculation certificate. Only infants under the age of one year are exempt. Immunization against cholera and small pox are not required, and no other vaccinations are required when visiting South Africa.

Malaria

The area during your Photo Safari are designated as Malaria Free, therefore the following information is just for your knowledge. Malaria is found only in the Lowveld of Mpumalanga and Limpopo and on the Maputaland coast of KwaZulu Natal. Malaria is not much of a risk in the winter months. Although the incidence of malaria is rare, it would be best to take adequate precautions if you choose to visit these areas. We do however stress that the Sabi Sands Game Reserve is a low risk malaria area and incidents of this ailment are very rare.

The South African government has embarked on an extensive anti-malaria program (in co-operation with Swaziland and Mozambique) and the incidence of malaria is decreasing. One reassuring thing about malaria is that there is absolutely no way at all that you can contract it, unless you are bitten by an infected mosquito. And with modern insect repellents and some common sense, one can reduce the chances of being bitten to close to zero.

The cheapest, safest and most effective measures against malaria are physical barriers, such as a mosquito net, and the use of a good insect repellent. If you decide to take malaria prophylaxis, it is essential that you take the drugs according to the directions on the package insert. You will need to start a week or two before entering a malaria-endemic area, and should continue taking the drugs for four weeks after leaving the malaria risk area. It is advisable to consult a medical professional before embarking on a course of malaria prophylaxis. Note that expectant mothers should avoid malaria medication.

Airline

There are two airlines that offer direct flights to Johannesburg, Delta and South African Air (SAA) South African Air, is affiliated with UNITED airlines http://www.flysaa.com/us/en/. It departs Dulles airport ( IAD) (outside Washington DC) airport on flight SA 208 around 6:40pm and arrives the next day in Johannesburg OR Tambo airport (JNB) around 4:45pm. The Departure time is around 6:30pm and will arrive the next day back in the USA at 6am.

SAA also flies out of New York's John F Kennedy airport (JFK) on SA 204 around 11:15am and arrives the next day at Johannesburg OR Tambo airport ( JNB) around 8am the next day. The Departure time is around 9:30pm and will arrive the next day back in the USA at 6:30am.
BAGGAGE ALLOWANCE SAA: for international flights you are allowed two carry on, one personal (Coat, laptop, purse, etc) and one bag 22 x 14 x 9. Personal note; I recently bought and used a Pelican 1510 which I had a Nikon D300 with attached a 200-400mm lens, 18x200mm lens, other gear like battiers, cables, cleaning kit, CF cards. It was a little heavy but it is on wheels and worked perfect for me as a carry on, you can look at it here, http://www.casesbypelican.com/1514-photo.htm . I also have this one that I have not had the need to use as a checked bag yet, but feel confident it will work just fine when needed, http://www.casesbypelican.com/1614.htm.
You are allowed two check in bags at 50 lbs each. You can check here for a seat (please check the correct plane for your flight) map http://www.seatguru.com/airlines/South_African_Airways/South_African_Airways_Airbus_A340-300.php

Delta, departs out of Atlanta on DL 200 at 7:35pm and arrives in Johannesburg 5:25pm the following day. It departs Johannesburg on DL 201 at 8:25pm and arrives in Atlanta at 6:30am the following day. see seat map here: http://www.seatguru.com/airlines/Air_Canada/Air_Canada_Boeing_777-200.php
BAGGAGE ALLOWANCE DELTA: .for international flights you are allowed two carry on, one personal ( Coat, laptop, purse, etc) and one bag 22 x 14 x 9. Delta ONLY allows one checked in bag at 50 pounds, extra bags are $70 each

Travel agency: I have used Custom Travel in the past that does ONLY African flights and connecting flights, I do a lot of business with them so you will need to talk to Debbie ( the owner) and tell them you are with the Larry Reese group. Her contact information is Debbie Trinidad- Custom Travel at 1-800-728-5301 or debbie@customtrav.agencymail.com, or http://customtravelafrica.com/
I recommend looking at the airline web sites even though most of the time you get a better deal at Custom Travel.

We do not recommend or endorse any of the following. It is just for general information. If you have other links please email me

Packing List for your Safari

The golden rule here is to pack as light as possible. You don't want to be stuck with a lot of heavy bags filled with things you might not use anyway.

Space will be at a premium on your international flight, light aircraft transfers, and safari vehicles. With that in mind, the safari packing list below will help you to pack only the necessary and correct items.

It may look long at first glance, but depending on your personal circumstances and the type of trip you are going on, some of the items won't be applicable to you and you can safely ignore them.

Wear khaki, green, light brown type colors if possible during your game viewing (camo is Ok in South Africa).

Documents

General Safari Packing List

Personal Items

Photo equipment

Other Items