Other Options...

carpenta, did TB use Sky Trek for the zip lining? That is the company ABD used, and we had some smaller kids who went tandem with parents or guides.
 
In my opinion a 5 year old would be interested in most activities so long as he has an attention span. Say the chocolate stop the presenters are quite entertaining so it was really fun. The rain forest animal sighting is cool traveling through the rivers trying to spot wild animals. Take a set of binoculars they really come in handy. Of course the animal rescue will be awesome. The hot pools have no life guards so he can not be left alone. Take water shoes for the beach on the west coast as well as the river float. The zip line I don't know about the weight issue and you need to be able to control when you come to slow down and stop. I did not see a tandem rider so I would call on that. There are a couple of curvy bus rides where some people got queasy so maybe an I pad to keep him occupied not focused on the winding roads. On our trip we went down the river with crocs staring at us from the sides so he may think that's "cool" or frightening depending on your child. All in all I don't see why he cannot participate in all or most of the activities. He may even turn into the trip mascot. lol.
Oh that sounds wonderful! Even I’m excited as a 5 year old! Lol! I’ll probably bring some medication for the bus for him. He gets car sick sometimes but he usually is ok if he sleeps. I did ask about the tandem and the agent said she thinks they will be able to accommodate but wasn’t entirely sure. She did give me the minimum weight and I barely make that lol! I’ll have to ask again. Thanks for the binocular tip! I’ll have to wait for Black Friday or cyber Monday or Boxing Day to find one! :) thanks so much for your tips!! :) really really appreciate it!
 
carpenta, did TB use Sky Trek for the zip lining? That is the company ABD used, and we had some smaller kids who went tandem with parents or guides.
I read Tauck’s pamphlet from 2019 and it did say Sky Trek for zip lining. :) yay! The only changes from 2019 to 2020 is a hotel change and the activity on the last day.
 
Definitely bring bug spray. Both my kids got zika virus while there. Luckily it just appeared as an itchy rash and nothing else. Also bring water shoes for the river float/water fight. The bus ride to Arenal caused both my son and me to get rather queasy. I found that peppermint essential oil helped us a ton. I just put a few drops on my hands and rubbed together. The smell stifled the queasiness as well as looking up at the ceiling of the bus most of the way. Tips are completely taken care of for the whole trip for everyone. In Costa Rica you won't have on your own time either to worry about tipping.
 


Definitely bring bug spray. Both my kids got zika virus while there. Luckily it just appeared as an itchy rash and nothing else. Also bring water shoes for the river float/water fight. The bus ride to Arenal caused both my son and me to get rather queasy. I found that peppermint essential oil helped us a ton. I just put a few drops on my hands and rubbed together. The smell stifled the queasiness as well as looking up at the ceiling of the bus most of the way. Tips are completely taken care of for the whole trip for everyone. In Costa Rica you won't have on your own time either to worry about tipping.
Thanks!! I will definitely bring a lot of bug spray! And water shoes! Great tip on the peppermint oil, I’ll make sure to get some as well as bring some Gravol. That’s great about tipping! Thanks again! Really looking forward to this trip!
 
I enjoy reading all your suggestions and comparing different companies. Today I came across one I haven't heard of before: Friendly Planet Travel. Does anyone have experience with them.
 
I enjoy reading all your suggestions and comparing different companies. Today I came across one I haven't heard of before: Friendly Planet Travel. Does anyone have experience with them.

Never heard of them. We're trying Wildland Adventures next year after some rather disappointing experiences with Nat Geo.
 


What didn't you like about Nat Geo?

We've had issues with them on 2 separate trips. On the first of these 2 trips it was during the planning phase with constantly getting inaccurate and incorrect information. We ended up doing most of the research ourselves and then they used it for future trips.

On the second trip we just did, our trip manager changed three times from the time of booking to the time the trip rolled around without any warning from Nat Geo. Also, on this most recent trip, our itinerary stated a tour that was to take place at 1:00pm on arrival day, our Nat Geo rep confirmed this tour and time twice between the time they met us at the airport and the time they dropped us off but when the tour time came, no one showed up. The tour was never booked. These were 2 separate trips, both bucket list trips and both private. One was a custom designed trip while the other was a set trip that had been modified due to unforeseen circumstances with one of the hotels we were originally booked into.
 
We've had issues with them on 2 separate trips. On the first of these 2 trips it was during the planning phase with constantly getting inaccurate and incorrect information. We ended up doing most of the research ourselves and then they used it for future trips.

On the second trip we just did, our trip manager changed three times from the time of booking to the time the trip rolled around without any warning from Nat Geo. Also, on this most recent trip, our itinerary stated a tour that was to take place at 1:00pm on arrival day, our Nat Geo rep confirmed this tour and time twice between the time they met us at the airport and the time they dropped us off but when the tour time came, no one showed up. The tour was never booked. These were 2 separate trips, both bucket list trips and both private. One was a custom designed trip while the other was a set trip that had been modified due to unforeseen circumstances with one of the hotels we were originally booked into.
Yes, that would be enough to turn me off of them as well.
 
We are recently back from our Secluded Botswana Safari with Natural Habitat Adventures, and it was fantastic! I have nothing but positive feedback regarding Nat Hab and would (will!) definitely travel with them again. Their itineraries are geared toward nature and wildlife, so you won't find trips to big cities with city tours, museums, etc., but for their niche, they will be my go to for future trips. There are a number of Nat Hab itineraries I am eyeing for future trips, including South Africa/Botswana, Tanzania, Gorilla trekking, Iceland, Alaska, Costa Rica and the Brazilian Pantanal. Here is what I really liked about traveling with Nat Hab:

--We had only 7 in our group, and this is the maximum Nat Hab will take for the Secluded Botswana itinerary. This ensures that everyone in the group can ride in a single safari vehicle and that everyone gets a *window* seat. (Nat Hab uses open air safari vehicles, and in Botswana, there was not even a roof canopy, so our views were not impeded in any way.) Using only one safari vehicle also eliminates any possibility for FOMO on what other vehicles might be seeing (maybe only a concern in my mind, but it is real, lol) and also meant that we didn't have more than one vehicle from our tour trying to view the same wildlife at the same time.

--Our expedition leader, Francis, was amazing. He is from Botswana and knew so much about the country's history, economy, etc. and, of course, the flora and fauna of the area. He was an incredible wildlife tracker. He was also very patient with requests for bathroom breaks while out on our safari drives (looking at 14yo DS on that one, but also myself a few times) and always found us a suitable termite mound for privacy, lol. He made a huge effort to ensure we saw a leopard on our last full day in Botswana, and that was real highlight of the trip (but among way too many highlights to even count). We could always tell when Francis had spotted an animal that was a *find* by his "Oh" exclamation and his flooring of the safari vehicle, lol. He definitely took us on a few wild rides!

--We also had a trip coordinator, Tilley, who handled logistics behind the scenes and was also in charge of planning *events* which usually took the form of surprising us with a bush lunch or dinner following one of our game drives or showing up in the middle of the bush for our sundowner drinks. And as soon as she found out I was a cider drinker, she ensured that cider was included in every sundowner cooler!

--This could be unique to Africa as opposed to a feature of all Nat Hab trips, but all of our food and beverages were included in this trip. And we were usually fed 6 times a day, lol (breakfast before an early morning game drive, a mid-morning tea break during the morning game drive, lunch, afternoon tea before heading out on our afternoon game drive, appetizers with our sundowner drinks while on our afternoon game drive, and dinner). Beverages included soda, juices, beer, wine and liquor, and were unlimited. Each of the safari camps had a fridge and liquor cabinet that we had free access to at any time. This included beer, wine, sodas, mixers and hard alcohol. The food was absolutely fantastic, showcasing local game and so many fresh fruits and vegetables (and always with a vegetarian main course option). I am missing our safari camp cuisine in a big way!

--We never handled our larger bags while we were on safari. Upon arriving at a new safari camp, our bags would be waiting in our tents for us, and upon leaving a camp, we simply left our packed bags in our rooms, and they were collected for us.

--In 2 of our 4 safari camps, we were the only group there. And we were treated so well by all of the camp staff. In the other camp in Botswana, we had one side of the camp exclusively for our group, and there were only 2 gentlemen occupying the other side during our stay. We only saw them in passing. Our camp in Zambia was a bit larger and had other guests, but we were only there for 2 nights before heading into Botswana for 9 nights. In every camp, we received handwritten notes from the camp staff and from Nat Hab. We definitely felt very valued. In Toka Leya Camp in Zambia, my DD and I each received a gift of a traditional cloth used by Zambian women. We all received a pin on our final night. Pre-departure, we had each received Nat Hab water bottles and were each able to select a gift like a hat or t-shirt. We also received 2 travel wallets with our pre-departure packages.

Those are the highlights I can think of. And I really can't come up with a single negative about Nat Hab or the trip, It was that incredible. Happy to answer questions....
 
We are recently back from our Secluded Botswana Safari with Natural Habitat Adventures, and it was fantastic! I have nothing but positive feedback regarding Nat Hab and would (will!) definitely travel with them again. Their itineraries are geared toward nature and wildlife, so you won't find trips to big cities with city tours, museums, etc., but for their niche, they will be my go to for future trips. There are a number of Nat Hab itineraries I am eyeing for future trips, including South Africa/Botswana, Tanzania, Gorilla trekking, Iceland, Alaska, Costa Rica and the Brazilian Pantanal. Here is what I really liked about traveling with Nat Hab:

--We had only 7 in our group, and this is the maximum Nat Hab will take for the Secluded Botswana itinerary. This ensures that everyone in the group can ride in a single safari vehicle and that everyone gets a *window* seat. (Nat Hab uses open air safari vehicles, and in Botswana, there was not even a roof canopy, so our views were not impeded in any way.) Using only one safari vehicle also eliminates any possibility for FOMO on what other vehicles might be seeing (maybe only a concern in my mind, but it is real, lol) and also meant that we didn't have more than one vehicle from our tour trying to view the same wildlife at the same time.

--Our expedition leader, Francis, was amazing. He is from Botswana and knew so much about the country's history, economy, etc. and, of course, the flora and fauna of the area. He was an incredible wildlife tracker. He was also very patient with requests for bathroom breaks while out on our safari drives (looking at 14yo DS on that one, but also myself a few times) and always found us a suitable termite mound for privacy, lol. He made a huge effort to ensure we saw a leopard on our last full day in Botswana, and that was real highlight of the trip (but among way too many highlights to even count). We could always tell when Francis had spotted an animal that was a *find* by his "Oh" exclamation and his flooring of the safari vehicle, lol. He definitely took us on a few wild rides!

--We also had a trip coordinator, Tilley, who handled logistics behind the scenes and was also in charge of planning *events* which usually took the form of surprising us with a bush lunch or dinner following one of our game drives or showing up in the middle of the bush for our sundowner drinks. And as soon as she found out I was a cider drinker, she ensured that cider was included in every sundowner cooler!

--This could be unique to Africa as opposed to a feature of all Nat Hab trips, but all of our food and beverages were included in this trip. And we were usually fed 6 times a day, lol (breakfast before an early morning game drive, a mid-morning tea break during the morning game drive, lunch, afternoon tea before heading out on our afternoon game drive, appetizers with our sundowner drinks while on our afternoon game drive, and dinner). Beverages included soda, juices, beer, wine and liquor, and were unlimited. Each of the safari camps had a fridge and liquor cabinet that we had free access to at any time. This included beer, wine, sodas, mixers and hard alcohol. The food was absolutely fantastic, showcasing local game and so many fresh fruits and vegetables (and always with a vegetarian main course option). I am missing our safari camp cuisine in a big way!

--We never handled our larger bags while we were on safari. Upon arriving at a new safari camp, our bags would be waiting in our tents for us, and upon leaving a camp, we simply left our packed bags in our rooms, and they were collected for us.

--In 2 of our 4 safari camps, we were the only group there. And we were treated so well by all of the camp staff. In the other camp in Botswana, we had one side of the camp exclusively for our group, and there were only 2 gentlemen occupying the other side during our stay. We only saw them in passing. Our camp in Zambia was a bit larger and had other guests, but we were only there for 2 nights before heading into Botswana for 9 nights. In every camp, we received handwritten notes from the camp staff and from Nat Hab. We definitely felt very valued. In Toka Leya Camp in Zambia, my DD and I each received a gift of a traditional cloth used by Zambian women. We all received a pin on our final night. Pre-departure, we had each received Nat Hab water bottles and were each able to select a gift like a hat or t-shirt. We also received 2 travel wallets with our pre-departure packages.

Those are the highlights I can think of. And I really can't come up with a single negative about Nat Hab or the trip, It was that incredible. Happy to answer questions....
Wow, it really does sound amazing and love the review. I was going to ask via email but I figured others might be interested .... what were the camps like on terms of luxury/stars and how much customization of ibtinerary did you do? Did you like your fellow travelers? Were all three together? Kids? How does it differ from ABDs trip in terms of activities? I.e. did you mostly/only do safaris? I guess I’m wondering whether this would be good for a first timer or whether ABD would be a better intro and this better for second?
 
Wow, it really does sound amazing and love the review. I was going to ask via email but I figured others might be interested .... what were the camps like on terms of luxury/stars and how much customization of ibtinerary did you do? Did you like your fellow travelers? Were all three together? Kids? How does it differ from ABDs trip in terms of activities? I.e. did you mostly/only do safaris? I guess I’m wondering whether this would be good for a first timer or whether ABD would be a better intro and this better for second?

I thought the camps were fantastic, and I loved all of them. For those on FB, I just posted pictures of our first camp, which was in Zambia and had the most amenities (like a gym, a spa, an espresso machine and also heating and air conditioning). I'll also try to get some pics up on Insta and will continue to post pics of the camps as I make my way through our trip on social media. In my mind, these were all 5* camps but I'm sure there are some over-the-top safari camps out there that I haven't seen. To be honest, though, I'm not sure I'd want or need any more than we had in terms of luxury. We felt VERY well taken care of, and the camps all felt very authentic and intimate. DD and I shared a tent at every camp. I really really miss the beds in these safari camps!!! I don't know what makes them so comfortable, but I slept like a baby. Something about piles of blankets (since it got into the 30s overnight) and a hot water bottle placed in your bed at turndown and nothing but the sounds of wildlife and total darkness make for a great night's sleep (with the caveat of a 6am wakeup call every morning for the early game drive). All of the tents had en suite bathroom and shower. Our last camp was the most rustic, and the shower and sink were salt water, so we were advised to brush our teeth with mineral water that was provided. We always had a flask of drinking water in our room in all of the camps that was refilled at least twice a day, and each camp had a water dispenser in the central area to fill water bottles as needed (and Tilly usually collected and filled the water bottles for us). Nat Hab does NOT believe in dispesning plastic water bottles!

We did not really do any customization of the itinerary. Safari life follows a certain pattern, which was true of our 10 days in Botswana. Early wakeup and breakfast before the first game drive starting at around 7am. We'd usually get back to camp from that drive at around 11:30am (and would have made a stop for tea somewhere in the bush around 9:30 or 10am). Lunch was usually at noon or 12:30, then we'd have a few hours to chill, shower, have a beer or cider, whatever, before tea at 3:30pm (which always included a savory item, a sweet item and a fruit item). Then the afternoon/evening game drive starting at 4pm, with a return around 7pm and including a stop in the bush somewhere for our sundowner cocktails and sunset viewing. Dinner was usually between 7 and 7:30. I forgot to mention in my review of the food, that at lunch there was always homemade, dense, hearty, awesome bread!!! We usually went to bed on the earlier side because we knew that 6am wakeup call was coming! The pattern was a little different at our 2nd camp in Botswana because this was more water-focused. So we did a couple of boat rides and also an outing in dugout, mokoro canoes. On our second afternoon there, our guide gave us the choice of another mokoro outing or a boat outing, and the group chose the boat. But really the main activity is game viewing, either on water or on land, and there aren't ABD activities like scone making, for example. But they kept managing to surprise us by moving the locations of our lunches and dinners around, either within the camps or in the bush, which was a really nice touch.

Our group got along great. It was the four of us, a couple in their mid-sixties from Arizona who were very well-traveled and very active (only CaliforniaGirl will get this reference, but they reminded me a lot of Don and Nancy) and a single woman from Walnut Creek, CA (where we used to live!) who was treating herself for her 50th birthday. This was NOT a family trip. We specifically chose not to do a family trip, because we really didn't want to be traveling with any kids younger than teens. I think we might have hit the jackpot on group though, because there was a Nat Hab group following us (they would arrive at an airstrip as we were leaving it), and that was a much older-looking demographic. (I suspect Nat Hab had a hand in placing travelers into our group; Thomson does this as well.)

This was a hard core safari trip, so in terms of whether it would be good for a first-timer, it really depends on what you are looking for. We did visit Victoria Falls and visit a village, but other than that, it was all safari camps and game viewing. I could do that forever, but it might not be for everyone. Those who have done the South Africa ABD are probably better equipped to comment, but that trip seems to me to be about 2/3 other activities and 1/3 safari camp. I personally would not like that ratio (I'd want more safari camp time), but I get that South Africa has other things to do like Cape Town, the wine region (not of interest to me at all since we don't drink wine) and the Cape and penguins. I would definitely like to do some of those things, but would probably skew one third to those things and two-thirds to safari park time. I think our next Africa trip might be Nat Hab's South Africa/Botswana trip that hits Kruger and Sabi Sands in South Africa and a park in southern Botswana (we were in the northern half this trip), and I would add on a few days for Cape Town, and the Cape of Good Hope.

One caution I would give to anyone considering a safari trip is the need for absolute silence at times in the safari vehicle. The guide will often stop the vehicle and turn off the engine, listening for sounds that suggest a predator is near, so they can track a lion or leopard. The guide won't be able to track well if folks can't keep quiet in the vehicle. Also, lions come REALLY close to the vehicle (at one point, I think DD could have reached down from the back row of the jeep and touched the head of a passing lion) and it is imperative that everyone be quiet so as not to draw unwanted attention. For the most part, the lions don't fear the vehicles because they aren't typically hunted by being shot from a vehicle (and so aren't aggressive toward the vehicles); they've learned it's man on two feet who is the threat. But these are in no way, shape or form domesticated or tame animals. (You can see blood on the mouths of some of them in my pictures.) Thus the need not to draw unwanted attention. There was one instance where we came upon a pair of lions, and it was the rare case that there were 2 other safari vehicles there (mostly it was just us). I really thought a couple of the occupants of the other vehicles might have a heart attack. They looked so petrified to be in such close proximity to the lions. So that is one thing to consider.
 
Thanks so much @Calfan, that is great. And I do get the reference :)--they sound awesome. You know D&N are two of my faves. It sounds as if this might be a trip to do without DS22 (who has Tourettes, LOL). He can keep quiet, but not for long and not reliably. It sounds like an amazing trip, and I'll definitely check out FB!
 
We're back from our Off the Beaten Path Yellowstone and Glacier NP trip. We had a great trip, and I'd definitely recommend OBP.

Short description - we decided relatively late, maybe 2 months prior to traveling, to do a multigenerational family trip. OBP was very helpful, and fast, with a suggested itinerary, actually steering me away from some things, and towards others given our time and the geography of the area. It was unguided, but with all lodging arranged, and an activity scheduled every other day (wildlife guide and kayaking in Yellowstone, river float in Great Falls, Blackfeet cultural discussion, guided hike and whitewater rafting in Glacier.) We changed hotels every 2 days, though could have done differently as desired. The lodging was all good to great, and conveniently located. Our activities were excellent with the exception of our guided hike (the guide was unenthusiastic and unprepared, THAT went in our final trip review) and the first day, when OBP gave our wildlife guide the wrong pickup location 90 minutes away. We finally figured out why he was late for our 6:30am meeting time, bagged the guide after a discussion with him, and Kelsea, our OBP rep who took full responsibility, found us an excellent guide for the next day. Two weeks prior to the trip, we received a 120 page bound booklet with all the information we could need - times, dates, places, directions, suggested dining and activities, local geographical interesting areas, etc, along with OBP hats and luggage tags for everyone, and a Montana map with our route highlighted.

While I am usually the trip planner for our family, it was nice to have someone else do the lion's share of the work. It was $3,000/person for 11 days, not including rental car, some meals, and tips. We paid about $100/person total in tips over the trip. Five lunches and 2 breakfasts were included, and we brought a cooler to keep groceries for breakfasts and many lunches as we traveled from location to location. While I'm sure I could have done it cheaper myself, I could not have done it that well in that short of time with what else was going in my life at that point.
 
Calfan- I'm so glad to hear you mention the need for silence during safaris. I'm extremely reluctant to do one for that reason. I can not talk but I fear a sudden coughing fit or sneeze attack (I have allergies that I can only do so much to control). You are reinforcing my decision.
 
Calfan- I'm so glad to hear you mention the need for silence during safaris. I'm extremely reluctant to do one for that reason. I can not talk but I fear a sudden coughing fit or sneeze attack (I have allergies that I can only do so much to control). You are reinforcing my decision.

Well, I don’t want to confuse the issue, but I do think you would be fine with an occasional sneeze or cough. Absolute silence isn’t required every second in the safari vehicle. We had conversations, etc., including low-voiced or whispered ones even around lions. It’s just important to be able to keep quiet when circumstances require and not scream or shriek in excitement or have loud outbursts like little kids are prone to do.
 
Well, I don’t want to confuse the issue, but I do think you would be fine with an occasional sneeze or cough. Absolute silence isn’t required every second in the safari vehicle. We had conversations, etc., including low-voiced or whispered ones even around lions. It’s just important to be able to keep quiet when circumstances require and not scream or shriek in excitement or have loud outbursts like little kids are prone to do.

Oh, good. I'm a loud sneezer/cougher though. Lol... I keep picturing something like Scooby Doo and Shaggy hiding from a ghost, and Scooby sneezes and the ghost attacks them. But with lions and tigers.
 
Oh, good. I'm a loud sneezer/cougher though. Lol... I keep picturing something like Scooby Doo and Shaggy hiding from a ghost, and Scooby sneezes and the ghost attacks them. But with lions and tigers.

Low conversation is definitely fine. As is coughing and sneezing. I actually had a cold when we were in Africa last year and I get really bad chest coughs when I get sick. I would go on coughing fits periodically and it didn't alter the experience at all. What they don't want is kids yelling and screaming. The last night we were out at our first bushcamp, there was another truck out from our lodge (we had a private driver/vehicle) and there were kids in the truck playing on ipads, screeching and such and the guide was constantly telling the parents to keep the kids quiet, which they never did. We were trying to find a lioness at the time.
 
Oh, good. I'm a loud sneezer/cougher though. Lol... I keep picturing something like Scooby Doo and Shaggy hiding from a ghost, and Scooby sneezes and the ghost attacks them. But with lions and tigers.

Low conversation is definitely fine. As is coughing and sneezing. I actually had a cold when we were in Africa last year and I get really bad chest coughs when I get sick. I would go on coughing fits periodically and it didn't alter the experience at all. What they don't want is kids yelling and screaming. The last night we were out at our first bushcamp, there was another truck out from our lodge (we had a private driver/vehicle) and there were kids in the truck playing on ipads, screeching and such and the guide was constantly telling the parents to keep the kids quiet, which they never did. We were trying to find a lioness at the time.

Yes, the part I bolded in the post above is the main concern. Sorry if I overstated it in my initial review. The lions don't seem to fear the safari vehicles, so a random sneeze or cough or even low conversation isn't going to prompt an attack, lol. It's really just loud, sudden outbursts that should be avoided when in the presence of lions (no tigers in Africa, so you don't need to worry about them!). And the safari experience will be better if some self-control/discipline can be exercised to allow the guides to do their tracking, which sometimes requires quiet so they can listen for telltale sounds.
 

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