New member researching their first safari

[Dylancadby23]

Hey guys, I’m from Louisiana and met a couple safaris at the Louisiana outdoor expo! One was Limcroma and the other Mount Carmel. I have been super overwhelmed doing research. There’s tons of great reviews for Limcroma, but they are more expensive and with one less animal then the quote I received from Mount Carmel. The kicker is this will be a trip for me and my wive’s one year anniversary. So I want it to be nice and comfortable and enjoyable for her. She probably won’t hunt any, but would like to tag along with me some, but I would want there to be stuff for her to do when she didn’t come. I know Limcroma has a lot to offer. I’d like to even take a day to go see some lions or to the facilities that have some baby animals. Any advice, recommendations, and anyone with and reviews won these places would be greatly appreciated! I’m just a Louisiana boy who has only ever hunted the US, but always dreamed of killing a big kudu, sable, gensbok, and zebra! We are newly weds, who just bought a house so we do have to keep budget in mind!

 

[Sabre]

Hey guys, I’m from Louisiana and met a couple safaris at the Louisiana outdoor expo! One was Limcroma and the other Mount Carmel. I have been super overwhelmed doing research. There’s tons of great reviews for Limcroma, but they are more expensive and with one less animal then the quote I received from Mount Carmel. The kicker is this will be a trip for me and my wive’s one year anniversary. So I want it to be nice and comfortable and enjoyable for her. She probably won’t hunt any, but would like to tag along with me some, but I would want there to be stuff for her to do when she didn’t come. I know Limcroma has a lot to offer. I’d like to even take a day to go see some lions or to the facilities that have some baby animals. Any advice, recommendations, and anyone with and reviews won these places would be greatly appreciated! I’m just a Louisiana boy who has only ever hunted the US, but always dreamed of killing a big kudu, sable, gensbok, and zebra! We are newly weds, who just bought a house so we do have to keep budget in mind!

Welcome to the site!

When looking at prices it is important to consider all the things that are important to you and weigh your options. Some locations may have very small hunting areas and might not be a very sporting hunt, which can put you off and not make you feel very good during the hunt. Or, their facilities and amenities may be lacking compared to a more expensive option.

I would look at how large the hunt areas are, the type of terrain offered on the property, and the accommodations since you are bringing your wife and want her to be comfortable.

I have seen hunt reports on here from Limcroma before. Go to the search, type in
"Limcroma", click the small box that says "title only" and then hit search. That should pull up some hunt reports I would think.

 

[MontanaPat]

Welcome to AH, I second what @Sabre is saying above. The sweet taste of a cheap price will quickly fade if followed by the bitter taste of a less than stellar experience. I have no personal experience with either outfitter but have heard many good things about Limcroma and no they have some good properties of larger size. My first safari I was taking my wife with me and wanted the same things you have mentioned for her experience. They cost 20-30% more than other quotes I got but I have no regrets with spending a little more or taking one less animal when I know the experience is going to be better overall

 

[BGGMKLR]

Hey guys, I’m from Louisiana and met a couple safaris at the Louisiana outdoor expo! One was Limcroma and the other Mount Carmel. I have been super overwhelmed doing research. There’s tons of great reviews for Limcroma, but they are more expensive and with one less animal then the quote I received from Mount Carmel. The kicker is this will be a trip for me and my wive’s one year anniversary. So I want it to be nice and comfortable and enjoyable for her. She probably won’t hunt any, but would like to tag along with me some, but I would want there to be stuff for her to do when she didn’t come. I know Limcroma has a lot to offer. I’d like to even take a day to go see some lions or to the facilities that have some baby animals. Any advice, recommendations, and anyone with and reviews won these places would be greatly appreciated! I’m just a Louisiana boy who has only ever hunted the US, but always dreamed of killing a big kudu, sable, gensbok, and zebra! We are newly weds, who just bought a house so we do have to keep budget in mind!

In my view, you have taken a best first step, by becoming a member here.
Very experienced members are extremely generous in their willingness to share their expertise, past experiences, and lessons learned. I will be monitoring your thread with great enthusiasm...and fond memories of myself being in your position...thirsty for all I can gather before attempting to turn a dream into reality.
My very best
Spike

 

[Elkeater]

Welcome to AH! I’m not an expert on African hunting with only one safari under my belt but I’m willing to help whatever way I can.

To your two listed companies, limcroma seems to have a good reputation. I can’t say I know anything of the other.

For cost I look at this like a three year system. Year one you book your hunt, pay your deposit and buy airline tickets. Year two you actually hunt (pay for your package and extra animals), pay your taxidermy deposit or dip and pack. Year three you pay for taxidermy and shipping of animals back to the U.S,

That’s just the way I did things though and it helps spread the cost out instead of paying one big chunk all at once.

I would recommend looking at some of the hunt offers from the site sponsors here on AH as they have some great offers here.

 

[LadyKiller]

Hello @Dylancadby23

My husband and I have hunted Africa twice. Both safaris have been with Limcroma. Our first safari was a couples anniversary trip similar to what you will be doing. In addition to the fantastic hunting opportunities, we also included several of the non-hunting side trips and excursions that we both enjoyed immensely! Our second trip was all about the hunting with the exception of a side trip to Kruger Park afterwards. Kruger was also an amazing bucket list destination that was all arranged to perfection by Limcroma. Both trips exceeded our expectations at every level!

Limcroma is a top-notch outfitter in every way. The staff is constantly going out of their way to ensure that you have the best experience possible. I cannot recommend them highly enough especially if you are looking for a couple's safari type of experience! We are tentatively planning a third trip with them for some different species in the Free State for 2026. Send me a message anytime if you have questions about our safaris with Limcroma. I would be glad to answer your questions or help out with any advice we can offer.

 

[Philip Glass]

I can not recommend going on your first safari with an unknown outfitter. You must realize there are maybe thousands of outfitter's in RSA all scrambling for the US dollar. Do your research and ask for references who have hunted Africa multiple times with multiple outfitters. Anything else has no value.
Have fun planning and watch my safari planning videos here and on my YouTube.

 

[BSO Dave]

Hey guys, I’m from Louisiana and met a couple safaris at the Louisiana outdoor expo! One was Limcroma and the other Mount Carmel. I have been super overwhelmed doing research. There’s tons of great reviews for Limcroma, but they are more expensive and with one less animal then the quote I received from Mount Carmel. The kicker is this will be a trip for me and my wive’s one year anniversary. So I want it to be nice and comfortable and enjoyable for her. She probably won’t hunt any, but would like to tag along with me some, but I would want there to be stuff for her to do when she didn’t come. I know Limcroma has a lot to offer. I’d like to even take a day to go see some lions or to the facilities that have some baby animals. Any advice, recommendations, and anyone with and reviews won these places would be greatly appreciated! I’m just a Louisiana boy who has only ever hunted the US, but always dreamed of killing a big kudu, sable, gensbok, and zebra! We are newly weds, who just bought a house so we do have to keep budget in mind!

I have hunted with Hannes Els and Limcroma many times over the years. Hannes runs a first-class operation in every way! I can honestly say that Limcroma is the best run outfit that I have ever hunted with. As already mentioned, what sets them apart is attention to the details. They make every effort to go the extra mile to ensure that you have a very personal safari experience. Spend the extra money and go with folks who will do whatever they can to provide you with the best outfitted hunt you will ever have.

Message me anytime with questions. I would be happy to tell you more about my safaris with Hannes and Limcroma!

 

[ADSstecky]

Please check out Blaauwkrantz Safaris. 110,000 privately owned acres. The Rudman/Dixie families are warm and welcoming. Plenty of activities for your wife: shopping in Port Elizabeth, Addo Elephant preserve, Scotia, etc.
Several affordable hunting packages for you to choose from. The PH’s and trackers are all wonderful with years of experience. It will be a trip of a lifetime.

 

[CAustin]

Hey guys, I’m from Louisiana and met a couple safaris at the Louisiana outdoor expo! One was Limcroma and the other Mount Carmel. I have been super overwhelmed doing research. There’s tons of great reviews for Limcroma, but they are more expensive and with one less animal then the quote I received from Mount Carmel. The kicker is this will be a trip for me and my wive’s one year anniversary. So I want it to be nice and comfortable and enjoyable for her. She probably won’t hunt any, but would like to tag along with me some, but I would want there to be stuff for her to do when she didn’t come. I know Limcroma has a lot to offer. I’d like to even take a day to go see some lions or to the facilities that have some baby animals. Any advice, recommendations, and anyone with and reviews won these places would be greatly appreciated! I’m just a Louisiana boy who has only ever hunted the US, but always dreamed of killing a big kudu, sable, gensbok, and zebra! We are newly weds, who just bought a house so we do have to keep budget in mind!

Welcome to AH. If I can answer any questions for you just send me a private message here on the site. Glad to help anyone when I can.

 

[JG26Irish_2]

Good luck with your Safari planning. Be sure to enjoy the process of learning, planning, practicing with your selected weapons, etc. I am not familiar with Limcroma but I know Limpopo and it is a little slice of Paradise. It is a great place for a first Safari. I did my 1st safari there and loved it and am returning to go again with the same outfitter (RDB Safaris). There are many excellent outfitters in that region but the daunting task is sifting thru all of them to find a good one. My advice is to not choose based on price along. Prices are competitive and I would choose a location that owns some or most of its concessions and where the PH is also the outfitter. I hunted Northeast of Limcroma and one additional suggestion is the plan a day to visit one of the five resorts in the Big Five Entabeni Grame Preserve for a photo safari to see the big five that you may not be hunting. They offer also golf, spas, fine dining, etc at some of the five locations. It is a great break from bouncing around in a Land Cruiser all day hunting.

If you desire a more rustic experience, then Botswana might be the answer but that would not be as much fun for a non-hunting spouse.

 

[Tanner Lee]

Welcome to AH