A 2nd vote for Gracy Travel. Gio has been magnificent so far.
Limpopo isn't close to much of anything except Kruger and Praetoria/Jo'burg. And 2 weeks is quite a long time for a limited budget.
Air travel:
1. UA has a direct from EWR
2. Delta has a direct from ATL
3. Qatar flies from IAH to Doha to JNB. About 4 or 5 hours in the air longer than the other 2, but if you're on a budget and need leg room, their coach+ seats are only slightly more expensive than regular cattle class with UA or Delta. Plus, I've flown Emirates (best I've ever flown with), and everybody tells me that Qatar is even better. The ME airlines seem to treat their customers like actual customers, not inconvenient annoyances. I don't travel as much as some of the folks here, but I do get around. When flying over salt water, I avoid US airlines as much as i can.
Air fare is cheaper with them all starting around the back half of August, after the holiday season is over.
Budget some cash for tips - trackers/guides/PH/camp staff. There's a long thread here on tipping, read it start to finish.
Travel medicine. Make sure you're current on tetanus. Getting Hep A and Hep B isn't a bad idea in general. Hep A is 2 injections, about a month apart. Hep B is 3 injections, the first 2 about a month apart, the 3rd about 4 or 5 months after the 2nd. Limpopo is non-malarial, especially between their winter solstice and spring equinox (june - september).
Travel insurance. Get it.
Get in shape if you aren't. The area around Thabazimbi is around 4000 feet elevation. If you're a lowlander like I am, it'll take a toll on you.
