Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Africa Anything you would do over.

Take more money and hunt like it is the last week of your life. You may never get back. Also, don't delay. I wish I had gone in my 20's even if it meant getting a loan or working at McDonald's as a 2nd job.

I never liked the idea of traveling with large sums of cash. Before the Euro, I had a fanny pack loaded with French Francs on the flight to Cameroon. I looked liked the Exchequer of some some Third World country (Cameroon?) No way I'd do that again. The word escrow comes to mind.

Dipping and shipping will vary--and can even have some surprises. Some safari operators will do the dipping for free, some charge around $300. Some hand it over to a taxidermist, if one is nearby, and that typically costs even more. I would plam for at least $1500 for the whole thing, without any taxidermy.

Then there are charges back here. I once had to tack an extra $700 onto the normal customs fees because of what had to be an anti-hunting customs agent in San Francisco. He held up my warthog long enough that it cost $700 for the extra storage. Some taxidermists will also charge various amounts to accept the shipment, though if you are already using one steadily they normally waive any fees if you get some work done with them.

I have never taken large sums of cash to Africa, just enough to get by. Instead I've taken travellers checks, but a lot of safari companies accept cedit cards. Wire transfers are also easily done in some places over there, in fact it is normal business in South Africa. There are also some safari operators who take personal checks. One guy have hunted with twice now will, and he says he's never had one bounce.

I favor wiring money over carrying it. Travelers checks dont work well in some places ie Zim.

As for carrying money, what MD says are good suggestions and obviously the preferred way to go as opposed to carrying a bunch of cash. However, as doclee has said, some place such as certain places in Zim don't take credit cards and certainly don't like travelers checks. The best advice is to find out ahead of time from your safari company what the easiest way to handle the finances will be. If they take credit cards, bank wires, or traveler's checks, then all is good. If not, then you'll have to consider carrying cash. That right there might be a good indication of how reputable the company really is.
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My first trip (plains game, RSA) had seven days of actual hunting. If I did this over, I'd spend twice as much time. Also, I took way too much stuff.

Both excellent points.

A 1-week safari just barely gets most people past jet-lag. 10-14 days is a lot better, even if the first couple of days are spent touring. If you spend the first two days touring (especially if one day is a game park) then you will be much more aware and shoot better when you start hunting. You will also have less regret when heading home.

When my wife went on her first safari with me, we spent two weeks, 10 days hunting and 4 touring. We were ready to come home at the end, and felt the safari was complete.

I have spent as much as a month in Africa, which is great if you can do it but more than most of us can afford, either in time or money. On the month-long trip I took one medium-size duffle bag I could carry over my shoulder (4 changes of clothes, including 2 pairs of long pants and 2 of short pants, and 2 long-sleeved shirts and 2 short-sleeved), a couple of hats, a shaving kit, and a small first-aid kit with some general anitbiotics. My carry-on was a daypack with cameras, binoculars, bird and mammal books, etc., with a light but dense fleece jacket tied to the outside. I took two rifles in a take-down case, but could just as easily have taken one with a spare scope.

Most of the other guys in camp over that time brought a body-bag duffle with FAR too many clothes. In fact most brought more clothes than are necessary for an Alaskan hunt. IT'S TRUE: They will wash your clothes every day, so you don't need many. Four changes are actually more than you will usually need in camp, but help during travel to and from Africa.

Definitely more pics and more cash and a longer stay!!! Definitely!!!

Good Luck!!!

Great advice as I'm probably only a year or two away from booking a trip. The only trophy I want to mount is a really good cape buffalo. Otherwise for me, it's all about the hunting, and experience.

Regards,

Chuck

I would have sucked it up and made it more than 7 days for my first trip. But that's all I could do so made the most of it. Next time will be for 10 days. Hoping to make it in 2012.

I'll add a vote for bird shooting. I saw several species of the dove, francolin, guinea (sp), and egyptian geese. My PH said he has some guys come in every year and put together a quite large "winner take all" pool for who can shoot the most birds.

I got by pretty good on the amount of clothing I took. I did take too many books, etc. as I thought I'd read more on the flight. I didn't. Ended up watching a bunch of movies.

Next time I won't take so much cash but wire money ahead to my ph. I plan to hunt with the same one. I took cash this last time, but used a neck wallet and seemed to work well.

Next trip we make to Africa, we'll pack even lighter, stay longer, tour/photo more, and bring less stuff(trophies) back.

Jeff

+1

Excellent advice. Thanks. First trip coming up in less than 5 months.

After reading about the Lacey Act, and this thread, I'm going out tomorrow for another 16GB SDHC card and bringing back photo trophies only, unless something I bag is top of the book. That's $2K more to get another animal. I have multiple batteries, voltage converters.

Packing one rifle, two scopes, and my side-by-side 12 gauge. I had already planned on bird hunting, and 10 days. The bird guide is a good idea.

The money thing...I guess I'll have to think about that...I hesitate to wire it before I get there and am met at the airport. I hate to carry cash, I know the PH isn't wild about Travelers Checks.

Thanks for the info.

Before my first safari to Africa (Namibia)- I wish I had not trusted the info I got from the booking agent as completely as I did. I should have had more communication with the outfitter himself, and done more research with folks who had gone to the same area and used the same outfitter before.

I didn't make the same mistakes on my second safari- I used an outfitter recommended by others who had hunted with him before, and made all the arrangements, air travel reservations, etc. myself.

YOu guys ever take a gun with a muzzle break on it with you to africa

Go with JJ

No.


Ingwe

that is perfectly said

Take the wife and kids.