Got there at 1:00 Saturday and stayed through closing, at 7PM. Was there the whole time on Sunday from opening at 10AM to 5PM. HUGE like nothing I've ever seen. One building was guns, another filled with archery and camping stuff, the next all fishing with boats next door, and finally the last building filled with outfitters.
I had gone through the list of outfitters over the last couple weeks, checking out their websites and marking those I was most interested in seeing. Wound up speaking with about ten of them, spending more in depth with several. Learned some are very small outfits, which only accept single parties, which means it would have been my wife and I, and that's it. While they were probably very good, I didn't want that setting. Prefer there to be a few others to socialize with. Found several.
I have all this written down in my notes, but off the top of my head I recall Somerby Safaris was the first I met with. Also met with Licrombe, Warthog, and Kirabo. In addition, I got information from Molopo, Kemp, Bergzicht, and Friikie Du Toit, But while I think you probably couldn't go wrong with any of them, there is one which stood out in particular in terms of the facilities. This was Ultimate Safaris. This one is in the Kwazulu-Natal province, and located just south of Kruger National Park. What stood out about it most though, besides being right next door to a place we want to see is the camp. Talk about LUXURIOUS. Wow! They're a newer outfitter, being around since 2007, and recently finished an extension to the camp. Incredible facilities and view.
I have a lot of materials to do through, and still have a time to decide, as we're looking three to four years down the road for this trip but my short list is around five outfitters who appear to meet all the points on my checklist. We are looking at this being both a hunt AND tourism vacation. Being there is so much to see, we'll have to make some decisions regarding which we'll do on the first trip. I say that because it's clear to me this is going to be followed up with at least one more thereafter. Want to see Kruger, Victoria Falls and the Cape. That and a hunt is too much for the two week vacation we can do at this time. Found really lovely places in the East Cape, so I'm thinking perhaps a hunt with a Limpopo outfitter or the one in Kwazulu-Natal, several days photo safari in Kruger and a trip to Victoria Falls for the first trip. And perhaps another in the East Cape, with travel around that province and the cape.
I am really excited about the prospect of doing this. Sharing info with a friend and hunting partner who hadn't really thought of this before, but is becoming intrigued. I think it would be ever better if he and his wife decided to do this as well. It would make for an awesome trip.
