10+ African Safaris: Which was the best?

4 Comments

So many people have asked us which park we liked best of all of the safaris we have done in Africa. We have been here for well over a year now, and can luckily say we have been on quite a few Safaris..some of them for many days.

We have been to more than 10 parks in Africa. We have been to Mikumi, Manyara, Taringire, and Serengeti/Ngorongoro parks in Tanzania. We have been to the Etosha National Park in Namibia, Hlane Game Reserve in Swaziland, and Kruger, HluHluwe, Imfolozi, I’Simangaliso, and Enseleni parks in South Africa. There are more countries in Africa, and more Safari destinations in the countries we have been to. And there are more countries we haven’t visited yet. It would take a lifetime to see them all, and we wouldn’t mind trying. We really love safaris. We wake up at 4am and get out the door the moment it is allowed at each park, we rest midday, and then we go out late afternoon til they force us back in to the gates and lodges at night. We never seem to tire of the search and reward of viewing wild animals on safaris, either in our own small vehicle or in a safari vehicle with a guide.

First, to compare them all isn’t fair. It’s often about luck, weather, and the time of year you are at a location. Hence we want to be sure you know, this is not a scientific comparison, not the most educated one either. Honest and personal yes. We DID recieve a small discount from one operator in Tanzania, but it was so small, I’m not even sure it wasn’t anything more than a standard negotiating discount 😉

All parks in Tanzania were visited in shoulder seasons…while it was dry, but while there were medium amounts of tourists, so the animals were not completely visible when we were in green pastures or in wooded areas. Etosha we visited during extreme dry season, so animals were easy to spot, and many were dying from lack of green food and water. Kruger was visited during wet and busy season, so there were more hiding places from the tourists and watering holes for animals, so possibly we would have seen more in dry season. Hluehlwe and ISimangaliso were very close to where we stayed for the time we spent in South Africa (10 months and counting in this country alone), so we saw them during different seasons, wet and dry, and always had a nice safari but only sometimes an extraordinary amount of sightings. Hlane was in wet season as well, so we often didn’t see many animals.

So here is our order of preferences…based on what we saw while there, how much effort it took us to find animals, the variation in species found…

Best to Worst

 

#1 and #2 Serengeti And Ngorongoro Crater -Hands down the best. Worth going way way out of your way for…a flight to Tanzania is well worth it for this park alone. We didn’t need to rest at mid day becuase the animals were still out, freely around the park. But far, this park has the most number of animals seen, biggest herds, lions close up consistently, and active, one leopard, etc. Best accommodations. By far the worst prices! Even if you camp it’s expensive here! But there is no real way to stay outside the park, there is only very expensive self drive, meals are expensive, hotels start at $300 per night. Ticket to the park, just under $100 for the day per person! And the park is so big, you really are forced to stay inside the park. Ngorongoro Crater is either part of Serengetti or just outside, and is equally as worthwhile, and as a matter of fact if you can’t see the Serengetti, at least get to Ngorongoro…it is a completely enclosed crater, filled with animals, and it is just stunning…huge herds, abundance and variety of animals, scenery..it has it all, just like the rest of the Serengetti! If you get to not one other park in your life, Serengeti and Ngorongoro National Parks are the ones to do! Put these on your bucket list if you love seeing animals in the extreme wild! Choose a tour operator before you arrive to be sure you go with a reputable well organized operator (http://www.FaceafricaAdventures.com is one we can personally recommend, but there are hundreds!) See our Youtube video here:

 

#3 Kruger National Park -Very very wonderful. Worth going on a special trip To South Africa for. We went during a crowded time of year (School holiday) but still didn’t see that many cars, though the lodges were packed and sold out, for Christmas and New Years holidays. And it was rainy season on top of that, though still nice weather, and still we saw lots of animals. Rainy season is always the worst time to go to any national park becuase the animals don’t need the man made watering holes, and can find food and water anywhere. The trees and bushes are greener and fuller so it’s hard to see beyond the road.  It took a LOT of work to find them this time of year, but we had some very close encounters, and brilliant photographing opportunities anyways!  Huge variation of animals… big cats almost every day, one day mating very close to the car, great leopard sighting one day, unbelievable wild dog experience complete with hyenas moving in on the injured dog, up close and personal hyenas every day. A few rhinos in the distance, and all the typical safari animals, big and small.

Hotels were never more than $100 per night and were clean and decent…self drive was very cheap or free, gas stations were abundant, as were restaurants and snack shops. Entrance was about $25 per day per person, but we had a “wild card” which is like a season pass that had already paid for itself by the time we went to this park. Much more affordable than Serengeti, but lacking two things, in at least the part of the park we were in: 1. Plains that rolls forever, with gorgeous sunsets of amazing colors. 2. the sheer number of animals, the huge herds: If Kruger had 10, then Serengeti had 1000. That said…the animals varied in both parks, and in both there were lots of lions. Still Serengeti tops Kruger if you can afford it. But Kruger can be self drive and save a lot of money. Buy a guidebook if you go to Kruger…you will want to know what the animals are!

 

 

#4 Etosha National Park. This is a park worth flying to Namibia for. We went when it was VERY dry season. Excruciating for the animals, excruciating for our sinuses and skin. Couldn’t imagine being in an open vehicle here…the dust would kill you. There were times when cars passed us that we had to stop and wait for dust to clear. I don’t know how the flora or fauna lives through it. I was very glad to be in our air conditioned self drive car. Hotels in the park were as expensive as Serengetti, but very decent hotels just 1-2 miles outside the park were affordable at under $150 per night with a fantastic breakfast and dinner for 2 included.. Self drive and entrance to the park also very reasonable.

#5 Mikumi National Park, Tanzania. We went during dry season, and saw lots of animals. If you are already in Tanzania, and are looking for a cheaper alternative than the northern parks, and still a good experience…it is worth the bus ride from Dar Es Salam to visit this park. We stayed for 2 nights inside the park, at a somewhat run down but cheap hotel, but it was a great location, with unbelievable sunsets with animals right around the hotel. No crowds at all. Big herds though not as big as Serengeti. But bigger than in other parks. All the common animals, multiple mating lions, jackals, etc. Drove with guide only, though I think you can self drive. Prices here reasonable including entrance, but more than South Africa. A nice first safari, no doubt. I’m not sure if self drive is allowed here..but the  driver we found at the Mikumi Tourist Board found animals we never would have!  (We made a video of our trip here:

 

 

#6 Hluhluwe in South Africa. Imfolozi National Park is now one with Hluhluwe National Park. This is a very good alternative in South Africa if you can’t make it to Kruger. In some ways it’s even nicer due to its small size and lack of crowds.  We went here probably 15 times, mostly overnighters, since it was within a an hour or sos drive from where we were living in the boatyard. Lions only here once, from very far away, so it’s not the Park for big cats. But there are so many Rhinos, and they are active too. We have seen wild dogs, though not often, and all of the common sightings like many elephants, giraffes, zebras, wildebeests, Impalas and other antelopes too numerous to mention. During a night safari with a ranger, we saw lots of owls, rabbits, beautiful sleeping birds, and a civet cats, in addition to the day animals. We Baught a “wild card”..a seasons pass, which included Kruger too, so a weekend here with food was always under $125 for 2 days for 2. If we didn’t have passes, it was about $18 per person per day for entrance.

#7 Manyara, Tanzania. We saw no lions in trees, or lions anywhere, which is what the park is famous for, but we only went for one day. We saw some hyrax which we have seen nowhere else, and plenty of the common safari animals including hippos far away, but nothing extraordinary. Many many extraordinarily beautiful birds at this park.. beautiful colors, sizes and shapes, more than any other park we have ever been to. Expensive entrance though I don’t know the exact number, since we were on a tour. We stayed at a cheap adequate hotel/campground just outside the park.

 

 

#8 Tarangire National Park, Tanzania. famous for huge herds of elephants of which we saw many of in a day visit. We stayed in the same hotel as above since these 2 parks are very close to eachother. Besides the huge numbers of elephants, we saw the common safari animals easily, during dry season. Expensive entrance though I don’t recall the exact number because we were on a tour.

#9 Hlane Park, Swaziland. The worst roads of any park for sure. We were still able to drive them in an economy car, but it wasn’t pretty. One of the best watering holes, especially early in the morning, with rhinos and elephants and other every single morning. The one drawback of this park is that if you want to see the lions, you must pay to go on a guided safari. They aren’t that expensive but it does take some freedom away to stay as long as you want, waiting for the lion to wake up and start his hunt. They don’t allow self drive vehicles in to that area of the park and it’s locked and fenced. So you are sure to never see any lions on your own drives…which is a major bummer to us. But at night, you could hear the lions roaring…even my half deaf husband could hear them!  We only saw the most common safari animals, with the addition of rhinos, often, and up close at this park. The accommodations inside this park were nice, and about $100 per night. There is however no electricity at any time, not even a generator. They supply paraffin lanterns to each guest, and in every room. Romantic, but inconvenient at times. There is also a campground. There were many tourists here for their first African Safari, but in our opinion, unless you are visiting Swaziland anyways, it’s not worth a special trip to this country for a Safari in and of itself.

 

 

#10 Enseleni. This is a walking safari, small nature reserve 10 minutes from where we were in the boatyard. It had Wildebeest, zebras, and hippos though we never saw a hippo. One day we got a lot of ticks on us, so we never walked there again. The price was very cheap to enter…about $2 per person. There are no accommodations inside. It’s a nice safe place to walk, and nice to walk so close to zebras and many kinds of antelopes and duikers. It’s only rated last because it’s small, and doesn’t have that many animals. But it’s a pleasant afternoon walk if it’s a cool day. This is a park to visit only if you are around Richards Bay, South Africa. It is not worth a special trip here.

A little time off for a safari, in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania

7 Tanzania Safari Tips- Serengeti National Park, Ngorongoro National Park, Manyara National Park and Tarangire National Park

 

Bluewater Sailboat Brick House Communications at Sea: Predictwind Offshore & Iridium GO or Sailmail and Winlink on the SSB

3 Comments

Advertisements

Bluewater Sailboat Brick House – Communications at Sea: Predictwind Offshore & Iridium GO or Sailmail and Winlink on the SSB.

Communications At Sea/Getting Weather at Sea -Upgrades on Sailboat Brick House 2018 and 2019

The folks at SSCA enjoyed our article in Ocean Navigator a month or so ago, and have gotten permission to reprint it on their web site, with some minor tweaks. It tells of our communication evolution aboard Brick House…our change to Predictwind Offshore, using the Iridium GO satellite hotspot for email and obtaining weather at sea forecasts.

This article discusses how we have gotten weather at sea through our SSB/Pactor Modem utilizing the GFS Forecast model back when it was the only affordable method available, as well as Sailmail and Winlink to get our airmail email.

We then switched to Predictwind Offshore, and satellite communications by way of the Iridium GO. We discuss in this article which system is actually more reliable, and what system worked best for us crossing the Indian Ocean.

Read the SSCA Article On Brick House, on the SSCA website (may need to be a member.)

Here is a reprint of the article if you are not able to read it on the above link. But I recommend following the link because it’s laid out better there…and because you should probably think about joining SSCA anyways, if you aren’t a member now!

Communications evolution on Brick House: How two voyagers stay in touch from ocean to island

Published on 5/21/2019, s/v Brickhouse Submitted by Rebecca and Patrick Childress, originally published by Ocean Navigator Magazine…

Advertisements

Ocean Navigator

Communications on our Valiant 40, Brick House, was once limited to a few methods. The most basic was the very high frequency (VHF) radio used for short-range communications to other boats and shoreside facilities. Single sideband (SSB) radio chat nets were used while underway and from remote anchorages to talk to cruisers at distances over the horizon.
The SSB radio, coupled with a device called a Pactor modem gave us the ability to send and receive text email messages through the software services SailMail and Winlink when the atmospheric propagation was agreeable. We had to train friends and family to keep messages short and without attachments that could easily overwhelm the delicate pipeline of radio waves. Sometimes in port, a hotel or yacht club would offer Wi-Fi, which would be usable on board if we could anchor close enough to the signal. Eventually we installed a Redport Long Distance Wi-Fi Extender on the stern arch so we didn’t have to anchor nearly on the beach.


Brick House’s radio gear: an HF SSB, a PACTOR radio modem and a VHF

 

 

The SSB was once the primary long-range communications device. Life on board was dictated by propagation tables that spelled out optimum connection times, calculated by the state of the ionosphere, and the distance between stations. Happy hours and barbecues were
abruptly interrupted as cruisers raced back to not miss checking into SSB nets or for their turn at being net controller, while others jockeyed for their turn at modem connections.


The RedPort Long Distance Wi-Fi Optimizer

 

Advertisements

The following article originally ran in the March/April 2019 issue of Ocean Navigator Magazine
(www.oceannavigator.com) and is re-printed here with their permission.
Seven Seas Cruising Association – where cruisers meet.

To make sure both SSB/Pactor and voice communications worked reliably, monthly maintenance demanded copious cleaning of corrosion between the antenna, ground connections, tuner, radio and modem. But in those not-so-primitive times, it was our only option.

Growth of cellular

Over time, cellphone connectivity became more accessible because a forest of cell towers went up everywhere, even in the remote islands of Fiji. Competition drove prices down. Natives who lived in thatch huts would row up in rough carved canoes, handing their phones over, asking for a battery charge. At times, we had adventures hiking to a high pinnacle to get a signal from a tower on the next distant island.
In cruising Southeast Asia, we found cellular Internet had become even easier and less expensive. Communication between cruisers, businesses and those half a world away took a big leap forward. Our smartphone became a Wi-Fi hot spot for connectivity on board and the Internet handled all communications. The VHF, SSB and Pactor began collecting dust and rust.
Though Internet had become more accessible, there was often a learning curve to understanding the system in each country. Smartphones in the U.S. are often sold as “locked,” but cellphones internationally are mostly sold as “unlocked” and can use SIM cards from any country, costing only a dollar or two. Now upon arrival to a new country, it has become top priority to visit a cellphone store with phone and required passport so that we can leave with connectivity pronto.
We needed then, to learn how to put more “load” or “credit” on the phone — usually with scratch cards or by visiting almost any store — and then learn how to buy an Internet plan, usually by punching a series of numbers and pound signs into the phone. Every country has slightly different procedures and little gotchas to learn so as to preserve your data. In the past year, in almost every country we visit now, they have even come out with apps to automate the whole process.
From an energized cellphone, the beeps and dings of Messenger, WhatsApp and email notifications fill the air on board. The notifications are usually from other cruisers, so leaving the annoying VHF turned on and listening to endless impertinent VHF chatter is a thing of the past. SSB nets began their decline in Southeast Asia simply because everyone was connected by cellular, and SSB radios faded away for all but the most dedicated operators. Cellular remains the number-one most utilized communication method in port and for coastal sailing.
But when the Indian Ocean loomed on the horizon, it was time to get suited back up for long- distance remote connectivity. First, I should say, for a while in the remote Pacific, we did have an Inmarsat Satphone on board in case of an emergency. It was such an expensive communication device to operate, full of billing surprises, so we hardly used it. We knew this would not be an ideal way to cross the Indian Ocean, being reluctant to use it to get weather reports for extended intervals. We then made the single most drastic change that we have ever made to how Brick House communicates: We sold the Inmarsat Satphone to help pay for our new communication system, an Iridium GO Marine Package from PredictWind. This is robust satellite communications.
Switching to Satcom
We no longer use the SSB radio/Pactor setup for email or weather — ever. It has nearly gone the way of the cassette player or radio direction finder. We still maintain the SSB, however, just in case. If I were to put money into a backup system now, it would be to have a second Iridium GO. A cruising friend did exactly that but sold it three years later because the original one just never skipped a beat.

 

 

The Childresses’ boat is also equipped with an Iridium GO Satcom unit.
The installation of the Iridium GO was like any other electronic device: a 12-volt power source and an antenna on the stern arch. We mounted the antenna as high on the arch as possible to have a clear view to the Iridium satellites, and above the radar dome more than 6 feet from the wind generator to avoid physical and electronic interference. We had to empty lockers to clear the way to snake a rather monstrous cable through small holes without bending it. We permanently mounted the Iridium GO’s gray box near the chart table in a position that would not be in direct sunlight, not incur accidental splashes or bumps, and most importantly would receive a steady GPS position. The small hinged antenna on the unit not only turns the unit on but gets the GPS position as well — just not the Iridium satellites when the external antenna is attached. Many cruisers who don’t have the external antenna have to take the gray box outside and hope it doesn’t fall in order to get a semi-acceptable transmission.
The GO ships with a common automotive 12-volt plug for power. Since the GO is powered via a common USB mini-B five-pin connector, I cut the automotive plug side off and then hardwired in a Wagan smart USB charger. This device is powered via 12V, and then steps down and autosenses the amperage needed to safely charge each device that is plugged in to its four USB outlets, providing up to 9.6 amps. I installed a manual one-hour timer in the circuit so I can wind it up to charge, and then it automatically shuts down to prevent constant powering of the sensitive batteries.
It’s very important to update the firmware upon receiving the unit and watch for subsequent updates, as well as obtain updates for the GO software used on the devices. There appears to be nothing more to maintain aside from keeping the electrical connections tight and corrosion free.
With the Iridium GO and no-contract Predictwind unlimited data plan, we have easy access to impressively accurate forecasts using PredictWind Offshore. We are able to send and receive our emails as many times a day as we wish, at any time, in any weather, along with texts to our friends and other Iridium users. We have 150 minutes a month of actual phone calls. So now we can communicate anywhere in the world, anytime, whether it be with family or businesses here, or in the next country for marina reservations, to order needed parts or for technical support to keep our boat operating. We can even get a webpage if we don’t mind waiting. The system is somewhat expensive at $139 per month with an initial setup cost of approximately $1,000, but for someone with business interests, the system could quickly pay for itself by nipping a problem in the bud. And, of course, this is a tremendous emergency communication device.
Email considerations
Our email setup with the Iridium GO software is a little more complex than many users’ setup due to the volume of emails that we get, which is easily in the hundreds every day. Some people have an “at sea” address and an “on land” address, but we have just one primary email address that covers land and sea so we never miss an email.
First, I will tell you the two requirements that led to having the complexity (yet the simplicity) of just one email address.
1. I could not afford to miss a single email, large or small, because of having two email addresses, and I needed to have full capabilities on both my tablet and laptop whether at sea or on land.
2. I planned to shut off the GO service when I was in port, yet I needed to access/send/receive all emails that I had access to while at sea and continue to have that access on land — and vice versa. I needed one application on all devices to send and receive email from anywhere.
The solution? XGate software was installed on my iPad, smartphone and laptop. XGate does it all: connecting to the Iridium GO, the SSB/Pactor or to regular Internet, accessing all of my email and keeping it synced between devices. I can access both new and old emails on any of the devices in the same application with any kind of connection, on land or at sea.

The Childresses use the XGate service to manage their email usage.

I have all of my email forwarded to my XGate account — not my Iridium Mail account — and XGate then automatically transmits the short emails. It then sends a list of “large” emails to a folder called “BigMail” (in my case, I chose “large” to be larger than 30kb). I can then decide from that folder which emails I want to receive. I can do this from any device with any connection. I also set up a number of keyword filters to eliminate email that I don’t want at sea, such as Facebook notifications or Dell computer sales.
XGate email management options allow Childress to set the inbound email cutoff size and to mass delete emails.
Note: Some systems, like Yahoo, do not allow forwarding of all emails, and fetching is not recommended in most situations. I will provide a more technical explanation and solution to this scenario on my blog at www.WhereIsBrickHouse.com.
Unless you plan to leave the Iridium GO activated for long stays in port and use it regularly, you cannot access email in the Iridium Mail app or online since it’s only accessible by satellite. XGate not only makes my mail accessible by satellite or Internet, but it does it all in the same application. If two months of email are allowed to get backed up in an Iridium Mail address that can only be retrieved by satellite, there will be a problem. Iridium Mail offers no tools to remedy this case or any other problem, and Iridium offers no technical support, help line or contact information. Using XGate, however, I can simply boot up the laptop where heavy-duty XGate tools reside, and many of
the problems are resolved. Reparation at sea becomes quite plausible. There is even a human being on the other end of the phone or email to help since GMN, the makers of XGate, are actual human beings standing by to help. And, of course, PredictWind support is second to none, though your Iridium Mailbox is not accessible to them either.

There was something salty about the old days of anticipating a chat session with other cruisers on a schedule over the SSB and having little, if any, email at sea — just simple solitude. Sadly, everyone now seems to be glued to their cellphones, on the boat and on land. Cruisers sit at the yacht club, sipping wine, overlooking the anchorage, and all of them are staring at a screen. Maybe they are in a trance, gazing at my husband Patrick’s YouTube Channel.

Comments on this article and other technical matters are welcomed in the Tech Talk Forum
on the SSCA website at www.ssca.org. As a member, you can opt into this special interest forum by going to:
Member Profile→ Forums→ Forum Memberships→ Available Forums→ SSCA Tech Talk Forum.
Click the green icon to the right of the forum name to subscribe. When the pencil icon appears, click it to manage your forum preferences. If you have issues subscribing, contact Home Base at office@ssca.org.

Author: Rebecca Childress and her husband Patrick Childress have been full time, slowly circumnavigating for the last 12 years on their 1976 Valiant 40, Brick House. Having crossed the Indian Ocean last year, and spending many months off the beaten track in Madagascar, Mayotte, and the East Coast of Africa, they are currently hauled out in Richards Bay, South Africa while they do some maintenance on Brick House, while exploring South Africa and beyond by Jeep.

Last year, they began a Youtube channel
at Patrick Childress Sailing in addition to their blog at Where is SV Brick House?
If you’ve found this article useful, you’ll find more similar information aimed directly at sailors/cruisers
on the members-only portion of the SSCA website (www.ssca.org).
Seven Seas Cruising Association – where cruisers meet.

Mozambique Cyclone Sailing Tanzania to South Africa

 

Magazine Articles by Patrick Childress/Rebecca Childress in Sailing Publications

A definite decision : Predictwind

 

Mozambique Cyclone Idai – Sailing towards a storm In March (a little earlier than planned-still in cyclone season!)

3 Comments

Mozambique Cyclone Idai – Sailing towards a storm, a little earlier than planned, during cyclone season…

Late April, May and June is the right time to sail this coast….We left mid March because of an extraordinary weather window which would carry us the first 1000 miles downwind, instead of upwind…

Was it 100% safe? NO.

Did we get more than we bargained for, or just what we signed up for? Watch the video to find out…

Also…Wish we were on Patreon? We aren’t…but you can support us in 5 other ways:

🍯(Tip Jar) http://whereisbrickhouse.com/tip-jar/

⛵️ TWO FREE SAILING COURSES: http://www.nauticed.org/?school=where…

⏩ Amazon shopping here: https://amzn.to/2K9MmuA

⏩FREE Predictwind

✩Tshirts and other: https://www.WhereIsBrickHouse.com/store

What do most people do when they see a cyclone on the Predictwind forecast with their Iridium GO or other ways of getting weather at sea? They stay safely in port, right? We saw an opportunity to go south with the north winds that would be north of the cyclone in the the Southern Hemisphere near Tanzania and Mozambique. It promised, if we played it just right, to carry us at least 1000 miles south with nice north winds!

So we grabbed our last veggies and eggs for 3 weeks, and set sail to South Africa, chasing Cyclone Idai down  down the coast of Mozambique. We wanted to be close enough for the winds, but not too close!!! We later found out that this cyclone was the worst cyclone to ever hit Mozambique, killing thousands of people and demolishing even more homes. It’s a good thing we played it just right!

Even with that, we did get the remnants of it when we got a little too close…and we were socked with 50 knot winds for a bit, complete with driving rain and lots of thunder and lightening. Seas mounted fast. Luckily it was short lived.

Too bad it was too rough and most off all too dark, to film during the very worst of it, or I know Patrick would have been up filming it!

Hope you enjoy the video, give it a thumbs up, subscribe, and have a lovely Easter weekend! If you have any spare change, leave it in the TIP jar in the top right corner of the screen…thanks!

We studied the two following books/guides (click on either to see more detail), and utilized our Professional Subscription at Predictwind  to help make these very important and intricate decisions about our trip south. Des Cason, a local Weather and anchorage guru and long time cruiser in this area also provided daily updates and advice as we moved south.

Advertisements
Advertisements

See our Track…from Year One to Now with Predictwind!

 

Mozambique In April, May and June

Mozambique Cyclone Sailing Tanzania to South Africa