Our Chacma Safari Base Camp is located within our Doornkom Game Reserve in the Limpopo Province of the Republic of South Africa (RSA).  The Limpopo Province has a long history and solid reputation within the safari industry.  Each season safari enthusiasts from across the globe come here to pursue their dreams of challenge and adventure.  Over 80% of South African safaris originate in this province.

Doornkom Game Reserve is located just outside the town of Vaalwater.  Vaalwater is about 184 miles (3 hours’ drive) north of Johannesburg (OR Tambo) International Airport.  Vaalwater is in the heart of the Waterberg Massif.  This was the first region in northern RSA to be named a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve.  The Waterberg Massif covers 14,500 square kilometers in the Northern Limpopo Province comprising some of the best hunting grounds to be found anywhere.  It is basically a high inland plateau bordered on the east by the Drakensburg Mountains and to the north by the Soutpansberg Range (the northern most mountains in South Africa). 

Clients on safari in Limpopo will book flights into OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg. A representative of Chacma Hunting Safari will meet you at the airport and drive you to the hunting concession. This service is provided free of charge to parties of four or less. For larger parties than four individuals, fee-based transportation is provided by Chacma Hunting Safari to cover the expense of an additional vehicle. In all instances, clients are able to lease transportation of their own choosing at the airport if that service is desired in lieu of transportation by Chacma Hunting Safari. In the latter instance, directions from the airport will be provided prior to the client’s arrival in RSA.

Of course, individual travel preferences and expectations vary, however we find that most of our clients prefer to arrive in Johannesburg in the early to late afternoon, or early evening. This allows the client enough time to clear customs, collect their baggage and make the drive to our base camp without a large degree of stress or loss of sleep. This allows time for a meal, brief discussions about the next day’s hunt, and then to bed for a decent night’s rest. Of course, Chacma Hunting Safari will accommodate any travel schedule the client may require. If clients prefer, arrangements can be made for an overnight stay in Johannesburg with travel to base camp the following morning.

We do hear tales from some clients about the rigors of passing through intermediate countries on their way to the African continent. Accordingly, clients may wish to look at originating flights that fly from the point of origination directly to the African continent with no intermediate stops until the continent is reached. This increases the likelihood that the client and all their baggage and equipment arrive in RSA at the same time. On the return trip the client can take a bit less direct route if desired without worrying too much about this risk. At point-of-entry in returning home allow at least 3 hours between connecting flights to ensure enough time to clear customs in your country.

As a final note, we know of no international travel that is risk-free. Things like changed flights, lost luggage, etc. can and do occur. Understandably, these unexpected events can put a damper on the client’s hunting plans. Accordingly, most of our clients believe that a travel insurance policy that covers these types of disappointments is money well spent. When flying through other countries (e.g. England, Netherlands, Germany, etc.) each may have its own requirements and restrictions concerning firearms. The client is most emphatically advised to ensure what these requirements might be in advance of booking travel plans.

For registered outfitters it is legally permissible to harvest game animals in RSA 12 months of the year. However, we restrict our booking season to the months of March – November when the weather in RSA is most conducive to a pleasant hunting experience.

Typically no. Travelers from many countries do not need a visa and can enter RSA for limited duration (less than 90 days) on their passport alone. However, regulations do vary over time and according to citizenship, therefore it is prudent for international travelers to check with their own embassy relative to requirements.

Fortunately, the Limpopo Province is generally considered a “malaria-free zone”. The northern area of the Limpopo, closer to the Botswana border and the Zimbabwe border is considered a “medium risk” area. At the time of booking your safari Chacma Hunting Safaris will identify those areas in which you will be hunting and will notify the client of any malaria concerns. Clients advised to begin an anti-malaria regimen are reminded that anti-malarial drugs routinely raise the risk of exposure to the sun, therefore clients should protect themselves accordingly with proper clothing selection and sun screen.

In addition, depending on where your flight originates, and any interim stops along your travel route, there may be inoculation issues you should investigate. We are told that the best source of information surrounding this issue is your local municipal public health service. Once you have booked your hunt and have your travel itinerary confirmed, you should take a copy of your travel itinerary to your public health agency and they will prescribe the course of action to take relative to inoculations. Certainly, just for general health purposes (as with any international travel), it is advised to have hepatitis and tetanus inoculations that are up-to-date. Finally, the Center for Disease Control in the United States (CDC) posts up-to-date information relative to international health risks on its website. Since no African outfitter is qualified to provide clients with specific medical advice the client should always seek professional medical advice concerning their international travel plans.

All clients are recommended to seek the advice of their family physician prior to booking international vacation plans. Ensure you have any prescribed medications with you and that the supply is adequate for the duration of your stay. Hunting and the handling of firearms and archery equipment carry inherent risks. All of our hunting vehicles are supplied with well-equipped first aid kits, and emergency medical facilities are usually available to our clients within a few hours. However, we know of no Professional Hunters that guarantee the safety of clients in a hunting environment, and Chacma Hunting Safaris is no exception.

You may bring a knife for personal use (in your checked baggage of course) if you so desire. However, the likelihood that you would need a knife for hunting purposes is highly unlikely as all our skinners and trackers have their own knives for their general use.

There are a host of resources available to answer this question including our website (www.chacmasafari.co.za) The material on our website is provided for informational purposes only; individual preferences and personal tastes being what they are, each client should decide for themselves what equipment and clothing will meet their individual needs for the duration of the safari (see our page on Safari Gear. Too frequently, clients bring too many clothes.They tell us this later themselves). It is advisable to check the 7-day forecast for either Modimolle or Polokwane (via internet) 8 hours prior to departing for RSA and adjust clothing needs accordingly. At Chacma Safari we have daily laundry service that is included in your safari package, so your next pair of clean socks or under garments is never far off.

For any item you intend to bring into RSA that is of notable value (firearms, optical equipment, laptop, etc.) see CBP Form 4457 (downloadable from this website: www.cbp.gov) mentioned below. This applies to US Citizens. Other countries may have similar, or other requirements.

Yes. The following specifications apply to household electrical service in RSA, therefore you will need both a converter and a plug adapter. These items can normally be purchased at any retail outlet that caters to the traveling public.

Voltage: 220/230*

Frequency: 50Hz

Plug Type: M**

First of all, non-hunting guests (Observers) are welcome to join their hunting partners each day in the bush, if they so desire. Many guests enjoy this experience even if they do not hunt themselves. In contrast, if specific non-hunting activities are preferred instead, the possibilities are almost limitless. Please refer to the sections of our website addressing non-hunting activities.

None of the meat is exportable; all of it is consumed locally (and very thoroughly we might add); nothing goes to waste. With certain animals, no parts are exportable (see information relative to CITES). For the majority of animals taken on safari with Chacma Hunting Safari we assume the client wants to preserve their hunting memories through photographic and taxonomic records. The quality of our client photographs can be seen in our Photo Gallery. In consultation with the client, we arrange for whatever taxonomic records the client wishes to preserve. Quality taxidermy can be obtained in RSA. Or, the client may elect to have trophies, dipped, packed and shipped to their resident taxidermist. Either way, we see that the trophies are properly handled in the field and connect the client with the necessary services desired. Since we use independent vendors for these services, expenses associated with taxidermy, dipping-packing-shipping, are not included in our booking fees.

Your fees for taxidermy work, dipping-packing-shipping will vary with the number and size of the animals you take and the services you desire, therefore it is impossible to generate a precise estimate. We suggest that clients divide their prospective animals into an A LIST and a B LIST. The A LIST animals should be the primary animals the client wishes to take. The B LIST animals should include those secondary animals the client wants as well, but which might possibly be deferred to another hunt, or which the client would feel fewer pangs of remorse if they were not taken. Not only does this add efficiency to the daily hunt, allowing the client to better focus on those animals that are most important, but it also helps in effecting an estimate for the taxonomic expenses the client is willing to incur. Once these two lists are generated the client’s hunt package can be accurately priced, and a better estimate of taxonomic expenses can be generated. Refer to our Taxidermy page for more information.

CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) is an international agreement between governments. Its aim is to ensure that international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants does not threaten their survival. This agreement has been in effect since 1963 when it was adopted at a convention of The World Conservation Union. Rather than go into a long recitation of how the CITES program works, we will simply say that when it comes to the hunter this agreement regulates what animals and how many of that species can be exported from a given country each year. Some animals can be exported legally with the appropriate CITES permit, other animals, while they may be legally taken, may not be exported at all. For those clients that desire more information on how this works we refer them to the CITES website at www.cites.org.

The short and accurate answer is “no”. RSA was colonized about the same time as the USA, therefore in large degree it is a modern cosmopolitan society. Both Johannesburg and Cape Town are international cities. During your stay with Chacma Hunting Safari you will be in the accompaniment of a Professional Hunter and citizen of RSA that is local to the province and thoroughly familiar with the area. While crime does exist in RSA (as in many diverse societies) it is not a problem in the areas you will frequent with Chacma Hunting Safari. If you have plans for additional travel not associated with Chacma Hunting Safari we suggest you consult with your own embassy regarding any additional international travel plans for advice and guidance.

On a final note, if you are a hunter, you are certainly aware of much of the anti-hunting sentiment that exists throughout the world. This is not a large problem in RSA because the country is oriented toward this industry, however it is probably best for any client to avoid public displays of behavior that indicate you are a hunter. In that regard, while there does not exist any prohibition in RSA against wearing camouflage clothing (it does indeed exist in some African countries), it is probably best to save this attire for when the client is actually in the field.

At Chacma Hunting Safari we like knowing what the client’s expectations might be relative to the hunt they have booked so that we can structure the hunt to meet those expectations. That’s why we are here. We like knowing, as well, if we have met those expectations and if the client is satisfied with the services they received. One way of indicating that is through the granting of gratuities to PH, trackers/skinners, and associated staff. However, that is not the only way of indicating satisfaction. The highest compliment we at Chacma Hunting Safari can receive is the client’s Testimonials of our services to other hunters that they know.

Much has been written about the topic of gratuities when it comes to safari services, and we can refer the client to that material so the client can make their own informed decision as to what is appropriate throughout the industry. Understandably, common practice varies wildly across the African Continent. And much of what has been written is often confusing and even contradictory. If during the planning phase of your safari you wish to discuss this in more detail with us we are happy to discuss the topic as well as refer you to our client referral base so you can have the opportunity to discuss the issue with clients who have already hunted with us.

We believe that any outdoor activity is best enjoyed if the participant is in the best condition possible for their age and health profile. However, at Chacma Hunting Safari we go out of our way to accommodate clients with physical limitations (whether dietary or ambulatory). If you let us know in advance any concerns you might have, we will honestly advise you so there are no surprises upon your arrival in RSA to hunt with us. Typically, hunts are not overly demanding from a physical perspective. Daily activities involve climbing into and out of the bed of the hunting vehicle, walking over broken ground, and through brush. Sometimes, if the situation dictates, and if the client is up to it, the final stalk may include a short crawl to improve the shooting position. However, for clients with physical impairments the hunting tactics can often be adjusted to accommodate expectations. Often, we find that the mental conditioning needed of clients is just as important as the physical conditioning. Having the patience to follow the PH’s guidance to wait for the proper shot presentation and then to execute it in a timely and decisive manner is paramount.