Go to Africa with AMAWaterways -- A Review

This trip sounds tempting but will probably be going with Tauck land based Tanzania : Serengeti to Zanzibar.

This trip sounds tempting but will probably be going with Tauck land based Tanzania : Serengeti to Zanzibar.

I was originally planning to book a Tanzania "Great Migration" safari with andBeyond but on studying the detailed daily itineraries we felt the long game drives day after day would be too exhausting. That's why the AMA cruise sounded so good (only one all-day game drive off the boat) -- they also offer versions that include Kruger or Tanzania but again those seemed too much for us.

I was originally planning to book a Tanzania "Great Migration" safari with andBeyond but on studying the detailed daily itineraries we felt the long game drives day after day would be too exhausting. That's why the AMA cruise sounded so good (only one all-day game drive off the boat) -- they also offer versions that include Kruger or Tanzania but again those seemed too much for us.

That concerns me as well. My DH has pretty bad asthma but medications keep it in line so a big part of me wants to go with the Ama version. It does look like a great trip .Good to know one has to book early for that one. I guess it will be 2019 for us if we go with Ama since they are all booked up.

We did a slightly different version of this trip last June. Two nights at the Cape Grace in Cape Town, four nights on the ZQ, two nights in Vic Falls, and four nights on Rovos Rail. I lived in Botswana in the '80s and have been going on safari for 30 years. I chose this trip because I was taking my adult son on his first trip to Africa. I wanted something that would offer him a good introduction yet not be boring or repetitive for me. I think it offers excellent value and was exactly what I hoped for. We upgraded on the ZQ but I wouldn't bother again. You don't spend that much time on the boat other than to eat and sleep. The small boat water excursions were fabulous. The excursion into Chobe magnificent. We had a knowledgeable tour guide who was very accommodating. My son did a helicopter flight over the Falls. The only issues we had were we thought the ZQ food could use improvement and the trip on Rovos Rail was two days too long IMO. ROUGH TRACK Also, they advertise the train goes through Botswana. It does not. At the end of the AMA tour we added on four days safari at Kings Camp in Kruger. One of the best camps I have ever visited. Really tops. It was all in all a wonderful trip. My son loved it and so did I.

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We did a slightly different version of this trip last June. Two nights at the Cape Grace in Cape Town, four nights on the ZQ, two nights in Vic Falls, and four nights on Rovos Rail. I lived in Botswana in the '80s and have been going on safari for 30 years. I chose this trip because I was taking my adult son on his first trip to Africa. I wanted something that would offer him a good introduction yet not be boring or repetitive for me. I think it offers excellent value and was exactly what I hoped for. We upgraded on the ZQ but I wouldn't bother again. You don't spend that much time on the boat other than to eat and sleep. The small boat water excursions were fabulous. The excursion into Chobe magnificent. We had a knowledgeable tour guide who was very accommodating. My son did a helicopter flight over the Falls. The only issues we had were we thought the ZQ food could use improvement and the trip on Rovos Rail was two days too long IMO. ROUGH TRACK Also, they advertise the train goes through Botswana. It does not. At the end of the AMA tour we added on four days safari at Kings Camp in Kruger. One of the best camps I have ever visited. Really tops. It was all in all a wonderful trip. My son loved it and so did I.

Thanks for this report! We are confirmed in an SA cabin waitlisted for a suite -- DW and I are traveling with a friend who is also in an SA and we thought the larger balcony would make a nice place for the 3 of us to hang out together. Did you get any sense that this would be useful -- or that the forward perspective would add anything? As it is our cabins are on opposite sides, so we will have a good view no matter which side the shore is on.

We spent almost no time in our cabin other than sleep. There are enrichment lectures after dinner so by the time they are over it has been a long day. I really think you will do your socializing on the lounge deck. It is very attractive and there are several area for a small conversation. Our group bonded quite well so we tended to hang together but it so depends on the group make up. Both my son and I agreed the second balcony didn't justify the additional cost. And, that forward, small balcony is adjacent to the bridge so doesn't offer much privacy. We only went out there once and the rest of the time kept the draperies drawn. I hope you have a wonderful time!

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Just wondering why you picked May to go. I'm just starting my research and wondered what month would be the best.

Just wondering why you picked May to go. I'm just starting my research and wondered what month would be the best.

When I was planning a land safari in Tanzania for the Great Migration, I was going to book in June because that is when the hordes usually hit the Grumeti River. [i will try to attach a map of the migration, which may or may not be legible ;)]

But for the AMA itinerary to Cape Town, Chobe, Victoria Falls, and Jo'burg -- all my research pointed to early May as the best compromise for all four areas:

Best Times to Visit:

Cape Town, South Africa – Apr, early May

winter = May-Aug

summer = Oct-Mar (very windy)

best = Apr

Chobe, Botswana – late Apr, early May

dry = Apr-Sep [but cold at night]

wet = Oct-Apr [Oct-Nov = hot]

Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe – May

dry & cool = May-Aug

low water = Sep-Nov [Falls less dramatic]

high water = Apr-June [“you will be drenched by the spray”]

Johannesburg, South Africa – anytime

winter = Apr-Sep [but not too cold]

summer = Sep-Apr [but not too hot]

best = Dec-Jan

Serengeti Great Migration Map.pdf

I go almost every year in May or June. Good weather. Fewer mosquitoes. Force of habit.

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Thanks Jazz for all the information. I was thinking about booking in early September but will now look at May 2018. It looks like a trip of a lifetime!