seeking advice on diving South/East Africa

Hi all,

firstly, sorry slightly off group, but may strike lucky..

The wife has finally nagged me into going on safari later this year.. I've
been resisting as its all a little too land based for me.. so she's made it
a little more appealing by allowing some diving too.

So.. I'm looking for some ideas on a combined type holiday where we can do
the safari thing then go off and enjoy ourselves diving.. I am thinking
Indian Ocean, so South Africa, Mozambique, Tanzania, Kenya..

I suppose the best place to start is to ask if anyone knows of any good
companies who offer both at a reasonable rate.. As I say at this point I'm
open to suggestion.

Has anyone done this sort of thing and has a good holiday report? Conversely
any bad reports - places/tour companies to avoid.. There are quite a few
companies that do this, but know have been recommended yet.

Like the idea of the Sardine run in June/July, so could combine that with
something else.. I guess this happens south africa and into mozambique?

Any feedback would be much appreciated (off list if you want.. - remove
".nospam" to reply )

cheers

Wilbo

wilbo wrote:

> So.. I'm looking for some ideas on a combined type holiday where we can do
> the safari thing then go off and enjoy ourselves diving.. I am thinking
> Indian Ocean, so South Africa, Mozambique, Tanzania, Kenya..

If you're going to Kenya it's only a few hours flight to the Seychelles
where there is some decent diving. We went there last year, the BA
flight stops at Nairobi en route.

Seychelles are granite outcrops, so not a huge amount of coral, but
there is some interesting marine life e.g. huge whale sharks. Also
a few wrecks to dive.

- Keith

In article <giwWb.3768$cb7.28541@newsfep4-glfd.server.ntli.net>,
wilbosb.nospam@hotmail.com (wilbo) wrote:

>
> So.. I'm looking for some ideas on a combined type holiday where we can
> do
> the safari thing then go off and enjoy ourselves diving.. I am thinking
> Indian Ocean, so South Africa, Mozambique, Tanzania, Kenya..

WWW.DIVEAFRICA.COM have dive operations in South Africa and Sharm El
Shiekh, from SA i think they do bush safari etc and dive tours etc...

Dave Morgan @ Work :^)

"wilbo" <wilbosb.nospam@hotmail.com> wrote in message news:<giwWb.3768$cb7.28541@newsfep4-glfd.server.ntli.net>...
> Hi all,
>
> firstly, sorry slightly off group, but may strike lucky..
>
> The wife has finally nagged me into going on safari later this year.. I've
> been resisting as its all a little too land based for me.. so she's made it
> a little more appealing by allowing some diving too.
>
> So.. I'm looking for some ideas on a combined type holiday where we can do
> the safari thing then go off and enjoy ourselves diving.. I am thinking
> Indian Ocean, so South Africa, Mozambique, Tanzania, Kenya..
>
> I suppose the best place to start is to ask if anyone knows of any good
> companies who offer both at a reasonable rate.. As I say at this point I'm
> open to suggestion.
>
> Has anyone done this sort of thing and has a good holiday report? Conversely
> any bad reports - places/tour companies to avoid.. There are quite a few
> companies that do this, but know have been recommended yet.
>
> Like the idea of the Sardine run in June/July, so could combine that with
> something else.. I guess this happens south africa and into mozambique?
>
> Any feedback would be much appreciated (off list if you want.. - remove
> ".nospam" to reply )
>
> cheers
>
> Wilbo

I did a big trip in South Africa last year. We did safari in Kruger
then headed down to Sodwana and Alawal for some diving. There are a
few smaller (but still great) parks down by the coast so it is easy to
switch between the two holidays. We self booked and saved a couple of
thousand pounds over the package deals (really that much). Kruger is
well set up for booking direct. You can book any of the camps and
trips all through a central office.

A friend of mine had his honeymoon doing safari and diving in Kenya so
that is possible too.

HTH
Nick

Hi Wilbo,



Really depends on how much diving and how much game viewing you want to do,
and how far you are prepared to travel. One option would be to fly to
Durban, drive to Sodwana Bay and do a couple of days diving in Sodwana. We
stayed at the Sodwana Bay Lodge (http://www.sodwanalodge.co.za/), which I
can recommend. The Hluhluwe game reserve
(http://www.kznwildlife.com/hluhluwe_dest.htm) is not that far away from
Sodwana (saves doing endless seeming drives) and you could do some very good
game viewing there, spending perhaps a week at the lodge. If you leave
Hluhluwe in the morning by car, you will get to Durban/Umkomaas in the late
afternoon. With good weather and good visibilty, and if your trip coincides
with the sardine run, you will experience some spectacular diving at the
Aliwal Shoal. We stayed at the Sea Fever Lodge (http://www.seafever.co.za/).
The accommodation was acceptable, but the diving was really good, even
though we went a little late in the season.



Some small advice: Sturgeron. The best sea sickness tablets we could find.
Take one one hour before each dive. The boats that take you out are small
rubber ducks and they jump and race through the two meter plus surf on their
way out to the dive sites. Astonishing how fast people can get sea sick. I
was fortunate enough to feel only a little queasy, but my girlfriend spent
her first few dives feeding the fish, in the boat as well as in the water,
and she was by far not the only one doing so. There is nothing like a little
sea sickness to spoil a dive.



Generally the dives at the Aliwal shoal start early in the morning, meaning
meet at the dive centre at 5:30 am, leave for the beach at 6:00 am and start
the dive at 6:30 am. That way they are able to get in four dives in the
morning, of which one generally does two. In the afternoon the swell gets a
little much and there was no diving in the afternoon.



Another source for information on the Aliwal Shoal is
http://www.aliwalshoal.com.



At Sodwana, you have to realize that the accommodation, speak village, is a
couple of kilometres from the shore. The hotels have 'free' transfers to the
beach which also take your diving equipment. You book your dives through the
hotel/lodge. The entire area is a game reserve, so you have to pay to get to
the beach. These costs are normally included in your hotel reservation and
you get beach vouchers at the reception when you check in. One activity
Sandra and I really enjoyed was horse riding in the evening.



If you are fit and feel up to the 30-40 meter dives and 4-5 knot currents,
Protea Banks as Shelly Beach, a short drive south of Umkomaas, is a great
place for shark diving. The sardine run ought to ensure superb diving.



As goes a tour operator, I can't offer any advice as we organized our
vacation ourselves.



Hope this helps a little. Just remember, if you do plan to visit South
Africa, don't even hope or try to see everything at once. The distances are
just too far to be able to drive everywhere and you don't want to spend your
entire vacation in a car.



Yours, with a lot of envy, sincerely



Rudolf Bargholz




"wilbo" <wilbosb.nospam@hotmail.com> schrieb im Newsbeitrag
news:giwWb.3768$cb7.28541@newsfep4-glfd.server.ntli.net...
> Hi all,
>
> firstly, sorry slightly off group, but may strike lucky..
>
> The wife has finally nagged me into going on safari later this year.. I've
> been resisting as its all a little too land based for me.. so she's made
it
> a little more appealing by allowing some diving too.
>
> So.. I'm looking for some ideas on a combined type holiday where we can do
> the safari thing then go off and enjoy ourselves diving.. I am thinking
> Indian Ocean, so South Africa, Mozambique, Tanzania, Kenya..
>
> I suppose the best place to start is to ask if anyone knows of any good
> companies who offer both at a reasonable rate.. As I say at this point I'm
> open to suggestion.
>
> Has anyone done this sort of thing and has a good holiday report?
Conversely
> any bad reports - places/tour companies to avoid.. There are quite a few
> companies that do this, but know have been recommended yet.
>
> Like the idea of the Sardine run in June/July, so could combine that with
> something else.. I guess this happens south africa and into mozambique?
>
> Any feedback would be much appreciated (off list if you want.. - remove
> ".nospam" to reply )
>
> cheers
>
> Wilbo
>
>
>
>

I met a guy a couple of years ago whilst in South Pacific who had been
travelling the world diving, etc.

I've not actually read the Africa part of his trip, but you might find
something of interest there?

http://www.whereisevan.com/trip-sele.html

ta

rich

"wilbo" <wilbosb.nospam@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:giwWb.3768$cb7.28541@newsfep4-glfd.server.ntli.net...
>
> The wife has finally nagged me into going on safari later this year.. I've
> been resisting as its all a little too land based for me.. so she's made
it
> a little more appealing by allowing some diving too.
>
> So.. I'm looking for some ideas on a combined type holiday where we can do
> the safari thing then go off and enjoy ourselves diving.. I am thinking
> Indian Ocean, so South Africa, Mozambique, Tanzania, Kenya..
>
I havent actually combined the two but its certainly possible; there is
diving off Kenya's coast (Watamu seems to be about the best place) and
easily combined with a safari. Also Zanzibar and some of the other islands
off Tanzania have good diving. You might start with looking at Kuoni - they
do a lot of safari packages and also have a diving brochure and do
'tailor-made' holidays.
I could go on at length about safaris but that is definitely off-topic!

--
Rita Daggett

"wilbo" <wilbosb.nospam@hotmail.com> wrote in message news:<giwWb.3768$cb7.28541@newsfep4-glfd.server.ntli.net>...
> Hi all,
>
> firstly, sorry slightly off group, but may strike lucky..
>
> The wife has finally nagged me into going on safari later this year.. I've
> been resisting as its all a little too land based for me.. so she's made it
> a little more appealing by allowing some diving too.
>
> So.. I'm looking for some ideas on a combined type holiday where we can do
> the safari thing then go off and enjoy ourselves diving.. I am thinking
> Indian Ocean, so South Africa, Mozambique, Tanzania, Kenya..
>
> I suppose the best place to start is to ask if anyone knows of any good
> companies who offer both at a reasonable rate.. As I say at this point I'm
> open to suggestion.
>
> Has anyone done this sort of thing and has a good holiday report? Conversely
> any bad reports - places/tour companies to avoid.. There are quite a few
> companies that do this, but know have been recommended yet.
>
> Like the idea of the Sardine run in June/July, so could combine that with
> something else.. I guess this happens south africa and into mozambique?
>
> Any feedback would be much appreciated (off list if you want.. - remove
> ".nospam" to reply )
>
> cheers
>
> Wilbo

We did a three week trip to Mozambique Dec 2002/ Jan 2003. It was
absolutely awesome and dirt cheap.

We drove from Cape Town ( 7000km round trip ) but you can fly to
Maputo and get a shuttle or fly to Inhambane and the resorts in the
area will collect you from the airport. The flights into Inhambane
have a 10kg baggage limit per person, though.

Have a look at

Inhambane Peninsula :

www.guinjata.com
www.barralodge.co.za

Bilene : http://www.mozambiquetourism.co.za/b...stinations.htm

Tofo : www.mantascuba.com/tofo/index.html

Morrongulo : www.africaonline.co.zw/sport/Scuba Diving/NAUI.htm

You're welcome to contact me directly montyg(at)xsiinet(dot)co(dot)za

rgds

monty

"wilbo" <wilbosb.nospam@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:giwWb.3768$cb7.28541@newsfep4-glfd.server.ntli.net...
> Hi all,
>
> firstly, sorry slightly off group, but may strike lucky..
>
> The wife has finally nagged me into going on safari later this year.. I've
> been resisting as its all a little too land based for me.. so she's made
it
> a little more appealing by allowing some diving too.
>
> So.. I'm looking for some ideas on a combined type holiday where we can do
> the safari thing then go off and enjoy ourselves diving.. I am thinking
> Indian Ocean, so South Africa, Mozambique, Tanzania, Kenya..
>
> I suppose the best place to start is to ask if anyone knows of any good
> companies who offer both at a reasonable rate.. As I say at this point I'm
> open to suggestion.
>
> Has anyone done this sort of thing and has a good holiday report?
Conversely
> any bad reports - places/tour companies to avoid.. There are quite a few
> companies that do this, but know have been recommended yet.
>
> Like the idea of the Sardine run in June/July, so could combine that with
> something else.. I guess this happens south africa and into mozambique?
>
> Any feedback would be much appreciated (off list if you want.. - remove
> ".nospam" to reply )
>
> cheers
>
> Wilbo
>
>

All, thanks very much for the advice, every little bit helps.

ta

Wilbo

Have a look at http://www.openwater.co.za/
Lots of info on South African diving, but nothing in the safari line.

Tip: Book direct, save a lot! Don't let them smell international tourist
if you can help it!

"Dave Morgan" <morgand@cix.co.uk> wrote in message
news:memo.20040212082242.2171D@morgand.compulink.c o.uk...
> In article <giwWb.3768$cb7.28541@newsfep4-glfd.server.ntli.net>,
> wilbosb.nospam@hotmail.com (wilbo) wrote:
>
> >
> > So.. I'm looking for some ideas on a combined type holiday where we can
> > do
> > the safari thing then go off and enjoy ourselves diving.. I am thinking
> > Indian Ocean, so South Africa, Mozambique, Tanzania, Kenya..
>
> WWW.DIVEAFRICA.COM have dive operations in South Africa and Sharm El
> Shiekh, from SA i think they do bush safari etc and dive tours etc...
>
> Dave Morgan @ Work :^)
>