[uAdapt]

A few years ago my wife and I went to Africa on a trip that was incredible. It was expensive, but well worth every penny. The tour operator / safari guide does an awesome job to incorporate any type of disability. The company we went with was called Endeavour Safaris - here is there website: Endeavour Safaris

I think we will defiantly go back someday. I would encourage anyone to go.

[SoliK]

Thanks for sharing.. I know my guy "friend" and I have discussed that we both want to go to Victoria Falls one day... Of course I'm a little premature in that we haven't discussed going anytime soon! Have to work out a few things personally before we get there! But still good to know of options. Also discussed going to Cape Town. He is injured at T6 and has very good upper body strength. Are these tours as a group or can you go independently? Both my friend and I are not big tour group people and just like going off on our own schedule. What part of Africa did you go? Thanks!

[uAdapt]

Although it was a group trip - there was a lot of time where they let you do your own thing. I wouldn't let it discourage you.

We were on safari in Botswana for 6 nights - this is one of the last untouched areas in Africa called the Okavango River Delta - it was incredible.

We also spent 5 nights in Capetown. We liked that too.

[goldnucs]

uAdapt, on Feb 27 2010, 09:35 PM, said:

Although it was a group trip - there was a lot of time where they let you do your own thing. I wouldn't let it discourage you.

We were on safari in Botswana for 6 nights - this is one of the last untouched areas in Africa called the Okavango River Delta - it was incredible.

We also spent 5 nights in Capetown. We liked that too.

What's your level of injury U?

[HiltonP]

Here's another operator.
http://www.epic-enabled.com/

And in Cape Town.
http://www.flamingotours.co.za/

[sweeper]

Hi Hilton, You are ahead of me... I was just going to say that there are more tour operators that do Southern Africa, safaris and Cape Town for disabled travellers.
If anyone is thinking of coming this way, I am happy to check out things for you.
V

[Scribbler]

http://www.apparelyz...?showtopic=8366

[HiltonP]

sweeper . . . I'm also in Cape Town, so can chip in with local info.

[SoliK]

Wow..Thanks for sharing the link to your Africa trip thread Scribbler. Those are wonderful pictures and inspiring me to save up and maybe have a serious talk with my friend about taking a trip to South Africa and Victoria Falls together in the near future... Has anyone traveled to Victoria Falls? If so, how accessible is it? That is one place I really want to see..He wants to go there as well. I can dream, right?

This post has been edited by SoliK: 02 March 2010 - 02:59 AM

[Scribbler]

SoliK, on Mar 2 2010, 02:58 AM, said:

Wow..Thanks for sharing the link to your Africa trip thread Scribbler. Those are wonderful pictures and inspiring me to save up and maybe have a serious talk with my friend about taking a trip to South Africa and Victoria Falls together in the near future... Has anyone traveled to Victoria Falls? If so, how accessible is it? That is one place I really want to see..He wants to go there as well. I can dream, right?

Your welcome Solik. My main tip on a trip like that is preparation and planning. Think of it as an Adventure, not a regular holiday.
It can be very tiring as you need to drive hours to get to places. The roads can be very rough in places, which I could only just cope with but a local SCI guy couldn't.
If its something you dream of doing, then nothing is impossible.
I found the local Zulu people very friendly and helpful.

[HiltonP]

Scribbler had a rough trip, but it needs to be pointed out that one can tour a number of game reserves/parks in SA (Kruger, Addo, St Lucia to name but a few), and see the Big-5, without leaving the tar road.

Scribs . . . pleased the Zulus were good to you, now can you please help us do something about this president of ours! . . .

[Scribbler]

Maybe some of the Zulu beer, which we had to drink might help Hilton?... It was like muddy water and looked like someone had washed dirty socks in it..

The worst part of the trip for me was 11 hours in a freezing aircraft, but sitting that long wasn't a problem.
I was a pilot in the RAF and I was never as cold as in that giant aircraft. Maybe someone had their window open...

There's no guarantee you'll see any of the Big 5!!.... Its not a Zoo its a Game Reserve so the animals can be unpredictable and hard to spot in the bushes; even an Elephant is hard to spot.

If you're aware of things in advance then you can be prepared and it makes your trip more enjoyable.
Don't believe everything you read in Glossy Brochures or fancy Websites; its the same as buying a car.
Wheelchair Accessible means different things to each of us on this Forum. What is ok for one person may not be ok for another.

A very nice (and attractive) flight attendant was chatting to me about Victoria Falls, but that's not in South Africa.

I remember the good parts of my trip but if I'd known about certain things earlier it would have been better.
I still remember having Rhino just a few feet away, and Nile Crocodiles waddling up a yard from my feet...
We had our own personal Game Ranger but they didn't have guns; I loved the adventurous side to it all.

If the weather had been like we were told to expect, then I'd have seen Eva in her Bikini .... But it wasn't very good weather.

[HiltonP]

Scribbler, on Mar 2 2010, 03:50 PM, said:

Maybe some of the Zulu beer, which we had to drink might help Hilton?...

Scribs . . . seems he's been drinking too much of that beer!
5 wives, 20+ children, and news of new one's each month!
If he's at a function it seems one has to watch your wife, and certainly your daughter.
The man can't keep his pecker in his pants!

Here we are, a country desperately in need of leadership, and our president's banging everything in a skirt!

[Scribbler]

HiltonP, on Mar 2 2010, 04:12 PM, said:

Scribbler, on Mar 2 2010, 03:50 PM, said:

Maybe some of the Zulu beer, which we had to drink might help Hilton?...

Scribs . . . seems he's been drinking too much of that beer!
5 wives, 20+ children, and news of new one's each month!
If he's at a function it seems one has to watch your wife, and certainly your daughter.
The man can't keep his pecker in his pants!

Here we are, a country desperately in need of leadership, and our president's banging everything in a skirt!

Hilton....... I'm glad I'm not like that.... Just because I've lots of beautiful girls around me doesn't mean I'm over sexed, does it?....
Or does it?.... ......... I know GB's answer...

[greybeard]

Quote

I'm glad I'm not like that.... Just because I've lots of beautiful girls around me doesn't mean I'm over sexed, does it?....
Or does it?.... ......... I know GB's answer...

............. Randy old goat!

Well? Did you guess correctly?

This post has been edited by greybeard: 02 March 2010 - 11:56 PM

[HiltonP]

Scribs . . . I see on the news this morning that our pecker waving president is visiting the UK this week.
Probably on the lookout for some fresh English nookie. Better lock up your daughters, and your
personal assistants!

[Scribbler]

greybeard, on Mar 2 2010, 11:56 PM, said:

Quote

I'm glad I'm not like that.... Just because I've lots of beautiful girls around me doesn't mean I'm over sexed, does it?....
Or does it?.... ......... I know GB's answer...

............. Randy old goat!

Well? Did you guess correctly?

HiltonP, on Mar 3 2010, 07:41 AM, said:

Scribs . . . I see on the news this morning that our pecker waving president is visiting the UK this week.
Probably on the lookout for some fresh English nookie. Better lock up your daughters, and your
personal assistants!

Thanks for the tip Hilton, I'll keep a close eye on my PA's.... Do you think they should sleep with me for protection?...

[HiltonP]

Scribbler, on Mar 3 2010, 09:20 AM, said:

Thanks for the tip Hilton, I'll keep a close eye on my PA's....
Do you think they should sleep with me for protection?...

Definitely Scribs!
And just to be sure I think you should, um . . "fully occupy any territories which might be at risk" . . .
It's a tough job Scribs, but someone has to do it!

This post has been edited by HiltonP: 03 March 2010 - 11:37 AM

[sciiaf]

YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I will go back to Africa again! Thank you for sharing the positive reccomendation and your experience. Prior to my accident (june 2009) i was a major travel whore! Antarctica is the last continent i have to conquer. I was so depressed at the thought of never having a travel experience again but that's not true. It's possible.

Thank you for reconfirming this is so. Can I ask if you encountered any difficulties along the way? How did you manage bathing and bowel programs? Were the hotel bathrooms accommodating in this way? how did you manage to cath at certain times when I assume you were on the road for hours on end? As far as sigthseeing, how did you deal with the terrain? I know safaris are done in a jeep vehicle but how well did you manage to get around other sightseeing areas?

Sorry if this is an overload of intrusive questions but I have hope of traveling internationally again some day and to hear your positive experience makes me believe it will be so. Do you have any future trips planned?

Jambo! Asante sana!

[HiltonP]

It is important to understand that "Africa" is an entire continent, made up of over 50 countries, and the conditions for disabled travel varies from the worst of 3rd World, to the best of 1st World. Going on "safari" in the Addo Elephant Park is completely different to going on safari in Tanzania or Kenya.

As mentioned earlier, parks such as Addo, Kruger, Hluhluwe, and St Lucia in South Africa are networked with tar roads with the game being viewed just 50 metres or less. I have visited Addo a number of times and had full sized elephants walk and graze within 1 (yes, 1) metre of our vehicle. The decent roads make for comfortable and relatively easy game viewing. These parks also provide wheelchair accessible accommodation, and are within a few hours of major cities and international airports.

Further north, into central Africa, things become a lot less accessible, and one needs to plan carefully.

[Scribbler]

sciiaf, on Mar 4 2010, 05:53 AM, said:

YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I will go back to Africa again! Thank you for sharing the positive reccomendation and your experience. Prior to my accident (june 2009) i was a major travel whore! Antarctica is the last continent i have to conquer. I was so depressed at the thought of never having a travel experience again but that's not true. It's possible.

Thank you for reconfirming this is so. Can I ask if you encountered any difficulties along the way? How did you manage bathing and bowel programs? Were the hotel bathrooms accommodating in this way? how did you manage to cath at certain times when I assume you were on the road for hours on end? As far as sigthseeing, how did you deal with the terrain? I know safaris are done in a jeep vehicle but how well did you manage to get around other sightseeing areas?

Sorry if this is an overload of intrusive questions but I have hope of traveling internationally again some day and to hear your positive experience makes me believe it will be so. Do you have any future trips planned?

Jambo! Asante sana!

sciaf, Hilton is correct, it depends on where in Africa you want to go and also depends on what you and your body can cope with.
I've video footage of me on some very rough tracks in Africa, which I've been trying to fit together and place on YouTube but I'm not having much success.
I wanted to avoid the Malaria areas as I didn't want side effects of anti Malaria drugs, that's why I chose up the Elephant Coast from Durban.

If I get it working I'll place it here for you to see.

Tarzan Scrib's.......... Arrrrrrrr! Arrrrrrrr! Arrrrrrr!...

[Scribbler]

Most roads are good but I found the long distances to places quite tiring.
There is also the problem of coping with rough and bumpy tracks, which we hadn't been told about.
I've added a short video clip of our daily 5K trip from our Game Reserve to the main road.

I thought you might like to see how I travelled over some rough terrain in Africa. Hold on tight!!!



From

Major Bum-Sore ...

[greybeard]

Bloody hell, Mike. No wonder you now complain about your head being a bit wobbly! It looks as though you damned near lost it all-together a couple of times there.