New member

Hello everyone!

Been a lurker here for several months, and finally decided to join to see some pic's, and join in the discussion.

I guess you could say I was bit by the bug at age 8. My dad never went to Africa, but his best friend goes every couple of years. He had a 2 story open trophy room with multiple sets of ivory and full bodied lions. Needless to say I was fascinated. We got to "borrow" 2 shoulder mount lions when he had to make room for more trophies.

Since then I have been counting my nickels and dimes, and sometimes pennies to hunt a portion of the dark continent.

Thomas

Thomas, welcome aboard.

nd

Welcome Thomas hope to see you around.

Cheers Louis

Welcome Thomas, glad you joined! Hang in there and stay committed and you will surely realize your dream and be off to Africa for a great hunting adventure.

Welcome to AH Thomas! Glad you decided to join and take part in the discussions, I look forward to your participation. Have you already chosen a country for your first safari?

Hi Thomas,

Welcome to AH.

Thanks for the warm welcome!

I have narrowed it to Namibia and South Africa. I have several "African Hunting Directory" magazines, and I will be attending Dallas Safari Club's convention here in a couple of weeks. Unless there is just on outstanding deal for 2010, the most likely year for me to be able to go would be 2011.

Namibia looks like a great destination until I look at airfare, and it is an extra $1000 USD to get to Windhoek instead of Johannesburg, at least from my cursory checks. I have not contacted a travel agent though.

Thomas

Thomas, Namibia is a great destination, but you will find wonderful opportunities in RSA as well. If I could make one suggestion, it would be to dialogue with a hunting consultant or booking agent as you consider your options. I use Atcheson's, but several others are very good. Tell them what you are looking for and what your budget looks like. I can almost guarantee you that they will have a PH who is the perfect fit for that first safari.

Thomas,
It does not cost so much to get to Windhoek from Johannesburg, depending on the time of the year, I have seen roundtrip airfare from Johannesburg to Windhoek (about a 2 hour flight one way) cost from US$ 300 and up.

So you buy the airfare separate? Because when I look from DFW to Joburg its about 1000 less then DFW-Joburg-Windhoek. Is it a hassle with firearms if you purchase the tickets separately? Checking bags through?

Thanks for the info.

Thomas

Hello Vonjager, welcome aboard. There are a few things to consider when booking flights to Africa, one of which is time of year. If you are planning a June or July hunt your airfare will be higher as this is high season. I highly recommend using a travel service for your first trip over. I have used Gracy Travel to Namibia and South Africa. I would give them a call, they have always been friendly and helpful without pressuring you to buy a ticket. You should also feel free to ask questions here at Africa Hunting as there are some very knowledgable and helpful folks here. Good hunting. Jim

Thomas,

Good suggestions from Jaustin.

Going to Namibia or South Africa I have always purchased my airfares as one trip however I don't see why anyone could not buy some of the legs of the flight separately... I don't believe though that it should necessarily be more advantageous from a cost aspect... Regarding luggage and firearms, it should not make any difference whether you purchase individual legs or not, you will have to present all of your tickets up to your final destination. Issues are more with airlines that you will be flying on and countries that you may be transiting through as they have their own laws, regulations and procedures that you will have to adhere to

For more detailed information you should read Africa Hunting article on Importation or Transiting Procedures Through Countries with Weapons by clicking here, especially if you are transiting through or traveling to another country. You can also check out Laws & Regulations for Hunters Traveling with Firearms by clicking here.

A majority of international hunting clients going to Namibia will fly directly from their country of origin into South Africa on a major international airline, many of which offer a route to Johannesburg (Tambo International Airport - JNB). A less traveled, although still popular route, is through any major European city to Johannesburg. Both routes then require a short flight to get to Namibia's capital Windhoek. Direct flights into Windhoek are available on Air Namibia through Frankfurt several days a week. Hunters usually prefer flying through South Africa as they offer daily international flights in and out of the country as well as to Windhoek, Namibia.

As Jaustin mentionned, you may wish to consider using a travel agent that specializes in hunting worldwide or in Africa as they may be familiar with these routes and used to working with these airlines. Specialty travel agents can often get better deals than you can find on major websites or through regular travel agents. However it is always a good idea to shop around since it can save you many hundreds of dollars per ticket. Click here to go to our Travel Agent section for a listing of those who specialize in African travel.

I couldn't agree more with Jerome. Not trying to influence you on Namibia, it will not cost more than $350 from Tambo. Another option is to fly to Germany and then straight to Windhoek. Sometimes flying to Europe and then to Africa saves as much as $800 or more.

Welcome to the Website, the Dallas Safari Club show should give you a ton of options to visit outfitters. And there is a lot of good information on here in the Outfitter Directory.

Good Luck, Fulfill the dream!