Trip Advice

[leftyhunter]

I’m thinking about my second trip to Africa and would like to take my wife to do a photo safari/general viewing, get after some tiger fish, and hunt a couple of free range species (nothing crazy like buf, sable, etc.). Looking at around 5 days on the ground? Possible to do from one place? Am I realistic or is this crazy?

 

[Doug3006]

5 days seems awfully short. For most of us, it takes a couple of days getting there and a couple more getting back. Four days of travel for 5 days in country is a bad ratio. Seven days seems like a more sensible minimum. Then, any number of SA options would probably do the trick.

 

[WAB]

Doug is spot on. I did a 7 day safari once and would not do it again. 10 days is absolute minimum for me. If I was limited to 5 days plus travel I’d find something easier to get to.

 

[Mark Biggerstaff]

Like other have said, 5 is short with the travel involved. It takes a day or two just to get acclimated and time change. My first was 7 full hunting days and it seamed short. Next was 10 full, then did 20 and 21 days for trips 3 and 4. This year was 12 full hunting and was actually done in 8. Next years is already planned and is 10 full plus arrival and departure. Think this will be the minimum I will ever do.

 

[Andrew62]

I have taken a number of hunts, anywhere from 6 to 15 days. There is no right or wrong, if 5 days is all you have time to do, then by all means go and enjoy. If you are in a position to stay longer, I would recommend a minimum of 7 hunting/fishing days. For me, it generally takes 3 days on the ground to feel like I'm really there!!

 

[AimSmall]

...also, consider the travel time IN Africa. To/from your arrival airport. Easy to spend a day or more getting to camp. Have fun!

 

[wesheltonj]

5 day’s sightseeing and hunting or sightseeing plus a 5 day hunt?

 

[Mtn_Infantry]

5 days hunting at a bare minimum but like others have suggested 7-14 is ideal. If you’re doing several days of photo safari + fishing + 5 days that’s great. Your outfitter can arrange multiple areas, a trip to Vic Falls with fishing, etc

 

[375Fox]

How important is tiger fishing to you? I think you’ll find it to be a limiter on your choices. This offer was posted for Caprivi and I think it meets everything you want. Zimbabwe offers the tiger fishing but generally not short successful plains game hunts in same areas. Zambia and Mozambique can be expensive. If tiger fishing isn’t that important, You could also look into central Namibia for a few native species like kudu, gemsbok, warthog, etc and finish with a few days of beach fishing for sharks. Where was your first hunt?

Plains Game Special Hunt In The Caprivi

Have you always wanted to hunt the Caprivi, but dangerous game hunts are a little out of your budget? Or would like to experience the Caprivi, but maybe you have hunted enough buffalo and elephants for your lifetime? Here’s an opportunity to fulfill that dream… Every year, we have a hand full...

www.africahunting.com

 

[Kevin Peacocke]

It is doable, but if you want to catch a tiger fish, which is very special, fly Emirates, Ethiopian or Quatar into Harare. Then take a bush plane directly to a camp on the Zambezi in Nyakasanga. CMS operate this area. You will get to hunt zebra, impala and some other and your wife will see wild dog, lion, maybe leoard, buffalo, elephant.
Why the Zambezi? It will be winter, tiger are elusive, but you will get one on the Zambezi drifting chessa bait. Nowhere else will produce. And it will be a big one.

 

[DieJager]

For such a short window I would look to South Africa (spoiler lake Jozini). But that is from someone who is not from Africa so there are people like @Kevin Peacocke with more solid knowledge.

Here is a blog where you can catch Tigerfish in South Africa. I would look for a hunting outfitter close to where the fish are.

How to Fish for Tiger in South Africa: The Complete Guide for 2024

An introduction to Tiger fishing in South Africa, with tips on the best spots, seasons, and tackle for catching African Tigerfish.

fishingbooker.com

 

[Kevin Peacocke]

For such a short window I would look to South Africa (spoiler lake Jozini). But that is from someone who is not from Africa so there are people like @Kevin Peacocke with more solid knowledge.

Here is a blog where you can catch Tigerfish in South Africa. I would look for a hunting outfitter close to where the fish are.

How to Fish for Tiger in South Africa: The Complete Guide for 2024

An introduction to Tiger fishing in South Africa, with tips on the best spots, seasons, and tackle for catching African Tigerfish.

fishingbooker.com

You might get a tiger at this time, but unlikely. Not even Kariba is certain at this time. But the Zambezi below Kariba is guaranteed.

 

[Desperatezulu]

Agree with the above - if tiger-fishing is important, then you're quite limited to hunting in proximity to a water body containing tigers, particularly with a 5 day duration.
Not sure where Kevin gets the timing/dates from as I see no mention of dates?
Sept/Oct is a decent overlap between late hunting season and early tiger season.

Pongola area in SA is an option - some nice enough hunting areas and the Jozini dam is probably SA's prime tigerfishing location (albeit chalk and cheese from the Zambezi). Probably the easiest and cheapest to access. There are also some prime photo-safari destinations in that area (including some proper top dollar venues) and Kruger & surrounds is not too far from there either.

Maybe @spike.t's operation in Zambia would cover both bases in one package? Don't recall if there are tigers in the waterways in his area?

 

[spike.t]

Agree with the above - if tiger-fishing is important, then you're quite limited to hunting in proximity to a water body containing tigers, particularly with a 5 day duration.
Not sure where Kevin gets the timing/dates from as I see no mention of dates?
Sept/Oct is a decent overlap between late hunting season and early tiger season.

Pongola area in SA is an option - some nice enough hunting areas and the Jozini dam is probably SA's prime tigerfishing location (albeit chalk and cheese from the Zambezi). Probably the easiest and cheapest to access. There are also some prime photo-safari destinations in that area (including some proper top dollar venues) and Kruger & surrounds is not too far from there either.

Maybe @spike.t's operation in Zambia would cover both bases in one package? Don't recall if there are tigers in the waterways in his area?

Unfortunately no tiger fish in the kafue where we are....and the OP asking if he can do all he wants in 5 days ....I would say it sounds like a very rushed, stressful trip.....with only 5 days he needs to I think basically decide to do one or maybe two max of his wants....I would think 5 days on the zambezi fishing would be best idea, as in the right area his wife will get to see some animals on the river banks...including ele ....and plenty hippo and crocs in the river and on banks...

 

[mdwest]

I very routinely do 5 hunting day trips (7 total days including arrival and departure days).

While I’d like to stay longer, my work is a major inhibitor. It’s relatively easy for me to take a week off a couple of times a year, but often difficult for me to be gone longer than a week at a time.

Typically when I do a hunt trip that is longer than a week, we still only actually hunt 3-5 days and then do non hunt activities (play tourist) for an additional 3-5 days…

For me, I don’t worry about jamming as much as I can into a single trip… we intentionally keep a measured, enjoyable, pace… we know “we will be back soon” (this year will make the 6th African hunt over the last 7 seasons… we only missed one due to covid close downs)…

So if we can’t squeeze something in during our 5 hunting days…no big deal…we’ll do it next time…

 

[leftyhunter]

Great input. Thanks, all. I agree, five days does feel short. (Especially if your flight out gets cancelled and you lose a day or two as we did when we went in 2021).

Seven is possible, it’s just hard to be away from little kids that long. I may need to think about cutting something, and/or waiting a few years until the kids are older.

 

[375Fox]

It is doable, but if you want to catch a tiger fish, which is very special, fly Emirates, Ethiopian or Quatar into Harare. Then take a bush plane directly to a camp on the Zambezi in Nyakasanga. CMS operate this area. You will get to hunt zebra, impala and some other and your wife will see wild dog, lion, maybe leoard, buffalo, elephant.
Why the Zambezi? It will be winter, tiger are elusive, but you will get one on the Zambezi drifting chessa bait. Nowhere else will produce. And it will be a big one.

I trust your advice on tiger fishing. But the problem with Zambezi valley concessions is the dangerous game to plains game ratio on quota. Nyakasanga gets more buffalo on quota than zebra, so they are more likely to be sold with a dangerous game hunt than a dedicated plains game hunt. I would suspect most outfitters would turn down a short plains game hunt for this reason, unless it was a special request for a return client or end of season quota.

 

[fourfive8]

5 days is too short for your bucket list. Maybe OK for a fishing trip combined with photo opportunities as they happen. If your budget (bank account) is adequate, maybe view the short trip as a shake down cruise for a future, full two+ week proper Africa trip. Packing and planning for a fishing/photo, simplified itinerary is also much, much easier than for some combination trip with multiple agendas, destinations and people. Easier means less stressful... that is a good thing.