Where to go for 'Old Africa'...

[Safari1]

Is it safe to fly to Pemba and then directly charter from there without leaving the airport? That’s what I did last time.

I would think that would work.

 

[Bullet Safaris]

My 14 day Tanzania safari we spent half or better of it in fly camps as leopard on bait were hours from main camp. Tell Nathan Askew at @Bullet Safaris what you are looking for. Here are pictures of fly camp!
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yep - we moved this camp every 2 days! not what we expected to do but I think we kept finding bigger leopard on each bait we stretched out to the 'Dark Side'!
Well, we also had the lion attack...that ruined Jack's bait. Hell of an adventure - and all the while we had a main camp 6 hours away (in the same area - with no human population) that was a pretty functional nice place with ice and stuff!

 

[rigbymauser]

I plan a trip to SA here in june for some 5-6 weeks. I will not take my own guns this time. I will borrow a rifle this time. Springbok season in Free-state starts late 1st of June i think. Usually if I recall it was 1st of April the springbok jag started. However I will spend most time north of Kimberly where I will help a farmer with some radom work here & there, drive to boerwar sites, visit some farmers in NWP(Kalahari). Maybe take a few nights out in the desert, make pictures etc etc. This time not so much hunting. More meet up with people, braai, "talking AFrika", tour around..enjoy life.

 

[Kevin Peacocke]

It is all a question of definitions. You can put up a very comfortable rustic tented main camp quite easily, and a tented fly camp for nights out even easier. So from that aspect, tick. Then travelling around the bush it is really no big deal for an operator to use Land Rovers or Land Cruisers which have the rustic feel, most do, so tick that one too. There are quite a few very large uninhabited game areas which are every bit as wild as they were back then, and although a hunt there may be more expensive, it is certainly doable. The only remaining challenge I can see is getting to the camp, and for sure a bush plane ride to leapfrog the M&MOBA would tick that last box.

 

[Kevin Peacocke]

Did you ever go on your dream trip?

 

[Alistair]

Did you ever go on your dream trip?

Me?

Not yet, no. As mentioned, this was a hypothetical thing for now. Fun stories, cool pictures, inspiration for the future.

I need to clear the last of the mortgage next year, then 2 years to save, then I might start looking seriously if my investments and pension fund are where I want them to be.

Vacation time is as much the limiting factor as money at the moment though!

 

[Tucketed]

@Alistair, All I can say is life is short, get out and enjoy it as you likely are. If I waited till I was financially fit we would never have had five kids, best thing in life, most of the times,Ha. Sometimes you have to go with the flow and enjoy. Not saying to not be financially smart but as I said life is short.

 

[Alistair]

@Alistair, All I can say is life is short, get out and enjoy it as you likely are. If I waited till I was financially fit we would never have had five kids, best thing in life, most of the times,Ha. Sometimes you have to go with the flow and enjoy. Not saying to not be financially smart but as I said life is short.

Good advice.

My plan is to have no kids, then there's plenty of discretionary income for safaris! A college fund goes a long way in Zambia (or Vegas) is all I'm sayin'...

Still, once the house is paid, expendable income will be up a fair bit, so anything is possible!

 

[Red Leg]

Good advice.

My plan is to have no kids, then there's plenty of discretionary income for safaris! A college fund goes a long way in Zambia (or Vegas) is all I'm sayin'...

Still, once the house is paid, expendable income will be up a fair bit, so anything is possible!

Peter Ustinov, among his many admirable qualities, was a remarkable philosopher. One of his most enduring, and truthful observations was "Children are the only form of immortality that we can be sure of."

 

[Rare Breed]

Me?

Not yet, no. As mentioned, this was a hypothetical thing for now. Fun stories, cool pictures, inspiration for the future.

I need to clear the last of the mortgage next year, then 2 years to save, then I might start looking seriously if my investments and pension fund are where I want them to be.

Vacation time is as much the limiting factor as money at the moment though!

While your plans sound good, you’re assuming you know your future which none of us does. In this past year I have had two dear friends in phenomenal shape literally drop dead. I for one do not put all my eggs into the “perfect” retirement basket as you do…I strike a balance of retirement and enjoyment for today. Not critisising you just remembering what my CPA told me when I asked him over all his years what was his most common finding over all his clients…his answer was they all regretted what they had not done not what they had done. Lesson learned!

 

[Alistair]

While your plans sound good, you’re assuming you know your future which none of us does. In this past year I have had two dear friends in phenomenal shape literally drop dead. I for one do not put all my eggs into the “perfect” retirement basket as you do…I strike a balance of retirement and enjoyment for today. Not critisising you just remembering what my CPA told me when I asked him over all his years what was his most common finding over all his clients…his answer was they all regretted what they had not done not what they had done. Lesson learned!

That's fair, but then I'm in my 20's and in good health, I've got time to do my hunts and do things. But 100k extra in the pension fund over the next 2 years is easily an extra million come retirement and no mortgage frees up significant expendable money for the rest of my life. Hard to justify the 'need' for the hunt right now when that money so drastically changes the glidepath for the next 30-40 years.

I want to do things, sure, but not at the cost of doing even more things in the future. I think that's a pretty good mantra for the 20s and early 30s at least.

 

[mark-hunter]

@Alistair
When I was twenty, i wasnt thinking about retirement.
And also, I was not having plans to have or not have kids.
And I wasnt saving.

I just went along with the life. School, college, girlfriend, getting extra money with side jobs, spending it, getting first job.

and what ever happened later in my life, believe me when I say, it was never planned.

 

[Alistair]

@Alistair
When I was twenty, i wasnt thinking about retirement.
And also, I was not having plans to have or not have kids.
And I wasnt saving.

I just went along with the life. School, college, girlfriend, getting extra money with side jobs, spending it, getting first job.

and what ever happened later in my life, believe me when I say, it was never planned.

Eh, everyone makes their choices, and it usually works out either way.

I've done the education thing, excepting my MBA which I'm just about to start, I've got my silly car, a girlfriend, a decent group of buddies, I go on nice vacations every now and again, and I buy toys sometimes. I'm not living like a monk, but then I do quite fancy building some funds so I can sack off work before 50 if I'm so inclined and enjoy even more silly toys and even more expensive experiences in the future. Luckily my career path and current lifestyle allows for that right now and hopefully it'll work out as planned. Even if it doesn't, having some savings and my own fully paid off house certainly won't limit my options for fun experiences in 10 years or so and could be a nice little buffer if stuff does hit the fan unexpectedly!

There's always toys and experiences you want but that are right on the edge of budget no matter how much you make I guess, but for something purely optional, I think I'd enjoy the expensive hunt more in 3-5 years when it's purely discretionary money that I can spend pretty much without hesitation or regret.

As for the children thing, it simply doesn't appeal to me. Never has really and as my college buddies start getting into that stage of their lives it honestly just appeals less. Such a lot of sacrifices in quality of life. Guess we can check back in a decade, see if I'm singing a different tune.

Different strokes for different folks and all that. Maybe I'm just boring!

 

[WAB]

It’s all about balance. I had a very good career, and I was blessed to be able to accept only positions that took me to good hunting and fishing.

I think you are on a good path. I strongly recommend that you save and make your first trip to Africa in your thirties. I began my international hunting them. It was a stretch, but I’ve never regretted it.

 

[Kevin Peacocke]

That's fair, but then I'm in my 20's and in good health, I've got time to do my hunts and do things. But 100k extra in the pension fund over the next 2 years is easily an extra million come retirement and no mortgage frees up significant expendable money for the rest of my life. Hard to justify the 'need' for the hunt right now when that money so drastically changes the glidepath for the next 30-40 years.

I want to do things, sure, but not at the cost of doing even more things in the future. I think that's a pretty good mantra for the 20s and early 30s at least.

Yes, it is a good mantra, and clearly you are dreaming the dream so far if not yet living it, that is ok. Tohave cleared a mortgage so early is an achievement to be proud of, well done!

 

[matt vejar]

Niassa with Kambako safaris would be my choice. I liked it better than Selous because more variety of game and much more game especially tiny ten stuff and bushbuck, eland, sable, waterbuck much more prevalent than unit LL3 where I hunted in Selous. If you can get PH Derren Ellerman you can’t miss on a world class hunt. Buffalo and Leopard are a pretty sure bet with him. I killed everything but the leopard and they had 4 on cameras when I left and two Russian clients wacked them after I left in October.

 

[Kevin Peacocke]

This thread started with where to find Old Africa and has become a bit philosophical - good! Well first a word of caution, Old Africa was pretty tough, especially for the women who kept the homes. The romantic part of it was finding open spaces, the wilds, lots of game, few restrictions. The downside is that logistics were difficult and health services not the best.
So, is there a best of both worlds? Yes, I live it every day! Hemmingway felt the same sun on his face as I do. Africa is here guys, smaller spurts perhaps, but far easier to get to, and cheaper! A happy life is a choice, an attitude of mind. Life's responsibilities are to educate yourself well, be productive, improve other's lives. Then it is your turn to enjoy your fruit, and some fruit along the way too of course.

 

[mark-hunter]

As for the children thing, it simply doesn't appeal to me. Never has really and as my college buddies start getting into that stage of their lives it honestly just appeals less.

My wife often laughs and quotes the line from movie "True Lies".

Kids! 5 minutes of joy, 20 years of misery!

(As my kids are just about that age, I am about and out of misery by that definition - parenting is not easy)

But when getting to a certain age, life would tend to be empty filled up with toys, and without kids.
There is good point Red leg has quoted above.

There must be a balance in life in everything.

 

[Jumbo]

My bucket list hunt - assuming money was no issue - is definitely Niassa. That must be the most remote old school area left in Africa.

Plenty of other great areas……and most will give you an awesome experience, but I think for my money Niassa is THE ONE.