Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Africa The devil is in the details

I forgot to add comments about taking your wife. If she is willing as stated above, GOFOR IT! I have friends whose wives will not go. That is too bad, as my wife accompanied on my second trip, it was an incredible experience. I cannot imagine going back without her.

My first trip was with 5 other guys, it was good. But after a couple days I was seriously wishing my wife was with to share the experience.

We have already discussed a Spanish, eastern bloc, Scottish, South America vacation/hunting trip for the future.

Your sales pitch just got easier, I am excited for you just thinking about it. Remember the planning is part of the total experience.

MM:

If it helps at all, remember the entire "cost" of the trip is not all in one big "lump sum". It's basically spread out over the course of a year or more.

The first "payment" is the deposit. Next will be the airfare 4-6 months before your trip, then the final payment when the hunt is over and if you decide to bring back trophies, the taxidermy and shipping bills will be due probably 8-12 months after your home from the hunt.

While this doesn't necessarily reduce the total cost, by it being spread out over a couple of years as in your case, it gives you time to make a financial plan and set a "fixed" amount of money aside every month - treat it like a car payment etc., but to yourselves. If your wife is on-board, it will make it a lot easier to save a $$$ here and there along the way.

As far a trophy taxidermy, seriously think about just doing European mounts and taking a little extra time to take some really, really good high quality photos and have the best ones printed on glass by a company called Fracture The last few trips we've taken we've done this and the photos are spectacular, take up much less wall/room space and with a few nice European mounts can make a much more elegant (according to my wife) display.

Beat me to it. The cost is spread out so you can budget for it. The others are right Go, Go Now! My wife has gone on our 2 safaris and also to Argentina twice. The first safari she had never hunted big game and decided to give it a try. Now she always has something on her want list when we go.
Shopping for a zebra rug.

Bought it!

The problem with that is the volatile politics of Africa. Things can change drastically in two years, and sometimes change means big increases in costs. Just look at the spike in costs in Tanzania in recent years.

Namibia is poised for changes. SWAPO is accelerating their plans for land redistribution, and China is moving everywhere into Africa. The country might be a little or a lot different by 2022. I'd go as soon as possible. That goes for anywhere in Africa.

I have been many times. Now, I take pictures and I no longer try to bring stuff back. I do like warthog tusks but not much else.

On the multiple rifle deal: I would guess 90%+ here have “hunting rifles” that never go hunting. Rifles never wear out to the point they need replacement and cartridges are much more similar than different. A couple of hunting rifles last a lifetime. Great memories last forever. Get good pictures, savor the moments, and get ready to go again.

I have done a fair amount of cull hunting and it is fundamentally the same experience as trophy hunting. If anything it is more relaxing and carefree. I think of it as a the big game version of bird hunting.

Oh, and yes, go sooner rather than later. A very experienced hunter once advised me that there will always be sheep hunting because of where they live whereas African hunting could come to an end in months. Witness Botswana.

I thought Namibia was stable?

It is as stable as any African country could possibly be...be that as it may, "stable" in Africa is a relative term...


As others have said, things change fast, go as soon as possible.


Worst case scenario..nothing changes in the next couple years...and you can go back!

Ok I gotcha. Any African country is subject to change at a moment's notice.

From Johannesburg to Calgary AB, $1,258.35 USD (paid this week to AHG Shipping) for felt backed red lechwe and bushbuck skins, bleached skulls of red lechwe, bushbuck, eland, waterbuck, nyala, impala and fallow deer.

Not just Africa. Look at the changes in your country in the last 10 years. Who would have thunk that? Socialism on the cusp of acceptability? Partisan impeachment over an imagined offence?

Blexit?

The whole world is rapidly changing. Africa just happens to be more volatile than North America. Black rule has failed and nations that wanted out from under the thumb of the whites are now actively selling out to the Chinese.

MM:

Namibia and Botswana are probably the most stable and safe countries in sub-Sahara Africa. My wife and I have spent several weeks a year for the past 15 years renting a car and self touring all over Namibia either before or after hunting there. I've taken a lot of people over hunting and sight seeing as well. With just a little common sense, we've never felt unsafe or threatened in any way at anytime. The locals have all been very friendly and helpful and respectful. Now, if you go out looking for trouble, you can find it but generally it doesn't come looking for you there. All told, I've spent just under 3 years in Namibia. A military acquaintance of mine, spent the better part of 20-years as a U.S. Military FAO/DATT working in multiple sub-Sahara countries and claimed Namibia was the absolute best kept secret on the planet. With all the time I've spent there I have to agree.

Regarding the SWAPO changes - I agree. NOTHING stays the same in Africa. Yes, there are a couple of political agitators trying to generate support for land/business grabs like occurred in ZIM and is occurring to some degree in RSA but, at this point it is NOT getting any traction. Mostly because the people saw what happened to ZIM, is happening in RSA and so far don't seem to be willing to climb aboard the wagon. Could that change? Sure, do I see it within the next 5-years? Doubtful. But TIA (This Is Africa) after all and all things do change in time, but so far things are pretty much limited to a couple of political agitators.

Botswana is another low vis gem. You've probably already read about my trips there last year and the upcoming trips this year. My wife and I intend to start exploring it this year as well. We're renting a vehicle and intend to do a 10-day self drive after we hunt with Gerhard in the Tuli Block. Just to give you an example. When Gerhard picked Bob and I up on our first trip there last June, Gerhard had the SUV loaded with all our luggage and rifle cases in the back. He had to make a stop at their version of Home Depot in Gaborone to get some "stuff". We got out and I offered to stay with the SUV while he and Bob went in, which was the "norm" in Namibia. Gerhard asked "why" and I said to make sure nothing gets stolen. He just smiled and chuckeled and said, "No, no my friend, this is Botswana. I could leave it here all day and all night and come back and NOTHING would be touched"!

Again, all things change, some for the better, some for the worse. I have seen Namibia change a LOT in the past 15 years. Tremendous housing and industrial development and roads all over. Cell phone service just about everywhere if you are within 20 miles of a charted road. Down side has been a HUGE influx of Chinese people, Chinese shops, businesses, money and influence. Even that might have a bit of a "stabilizing" effect on the govt grabbing land and foreign owned business.

Anyway....the Reader's Digest version of all that above is, go and go now or as soon as you can. Take your wife, you'll be with a local PH the entire time who knows "the ropes" and will make sure you both are very safe and well taken care of.

Some go to collect
Some go for the experience
The costs are a lot different
Plan accordingly

I'm very surprised to learn of the Chinese influx. I hadn't heard about that before.

Lufthansa is under 1,500.00 round trip from Philadelphia to Windhoek. Any reason not to fly with them?

Started in 2009. The Chinese entered into an agreement with the Nam govt to build a cement factory north of Windhoek. The Chinese would build the factory for Namibia in exchange for Nam to allow them to bring in 25K Chinese workers to build and initially operate the factory. Then over a period of time, the Chinese would train the "locals" to run and operate it. Didn't work out that way.

They brought in the Chinese workers to build the factory but, the never went back. Then they brought in the Chinese workers to operate the factory and they never trained the locals to fully run it and the Chinese operators didn't go back. Then the Chinese govt offered to spend big $$ renovating the Presidential Palace/Residence and even more Chinese came in. Then they started opening businesses to provide food and services for the ones already in the country and even more came in. Then they started buying local owned businesses and and they just kept rolling in.

To give you some idea, the total Nam population is about 2M. There are now over nearly 300K Chinese nationals in the country. It's hard to now swing a dead cat without hitting a Chinese restaurant or shop just about anywhere in the country. The really big $$ came a few years ago. The Chinese govt agreed to improve/expand the commercial port in Walvis Bay to the tune of nearly $1B USD. In exchange, the Nam govt agreed to let them add an military extension on the south side for the exclusive use of the Chinese Navy. Now, they keep a frigate docked there nearly continuously.

The Chinese also in the last year or so, purchased the Rossing Uranium mine near Swakopmund.

Add to that, about 7-8 years ago, the North Koreans built the new National Museum in Windhoek on the hill above the Hilton Hotel.

Wow!

Lufthansa to Windhoek question.

Going through Frankfurt with firearms is now easy as pie. I wasn't aware they started direct service from Frankfurt direct into Windhoek. Be very careful as the last time we routed via Frankfurt to Windhoek on them, the flight actually went into J'berg and had to transfer to either SAA or Air Namibia. If that is the case, AVOID AIR NAMIBIA LIKE THE PLAGUE! They are in serious financial trouble like SAA and have a nasty habit of canceling flights with no notice. Happened to us last Aug on our Air Nam flt from Gaborone back to Windhoek. If the connection is with SAA or SA Air Link or SA Express from J'berg to Windhoek and if your layover in J'berg is more than 6 hours, you MAY have to claim your luggage and rifle case, do a SAPS 520 Firearm Temp/Transit permit and recheck with the either Air Nam or the SAA variant. Oh, and expect to pay an extra fee with both to take your rifle cases each way.

On the other hand, if Lufthansa is now flying DIRECT from Frankfurt to Windhoek, easy, easy, easy. Even if you have a long layover in Frankfurt and have to claim luggage and firearms, no transit permits required. If it's a really long layover, you can book a "day room" at an off terminal property and take all your stuff with you and just recheck for the next leg. I think the only requirement for taking firearms on Lufthansa is you call them a couple of week before your flt and let them know you'll be traveling with firearms.

Also, since you mentioned it might not be until 2021 or 2022 before you make your trip all the current airline info and routes and firearm transport requirements could very well be completely different.

So much to think about. I'm glad I didn't put any money down . I can see there's a lot more homework I need to do.

Remember, you can always use the camp rifles if you don't want the bother of traveling with your rifle.

Fly Qatar, reasonable cost and direct to Windhoek. Emirates to JNB or Zimbabwe.