Hi Dave, our plan has just changed, Sheila had told he brother, (not a birder) would he like to go down to Kruger for a holiday? After saying he would he said that his wife would probably say no, this was when we decided to go to Botswana instead, & I put this question on the Birdforum. Now he has said yes he would like to go! So our plan is to take him up to Punda Maria & work our way down to show him the animals there.
So we then take him back to Joburg to go home & then we will go to Botswana. I should say that we have been to SA 5 times & after failing to do the sea bird trip from Cape Town 2 years running we have just spent the other trips up north from there, & we have seen lots of the birds & poss most of the top mega’s, except the Pel’s Fishing-Owl, so this is why we would like to go there.
Although we have had a few 1 to 2 day guides we have done the rest on our own, like last trip in 2009 I did just over 7000 Kms in our hire car, & have no problems on the dirt roads in a 2 wheel drive. Also that small Namibia area just north of Okavango seems to have lots of special birds.
So prefer self drive & self catered accom. I am starting to work thru your links, also found this interesting write up; although back in 2004 they used a 2 wheel drive & did not need to pre-book accommodation;
http://www.birdtours.co.uk/tripreports/namibia/namibia9/nam-bot-dec-04.htm
Regards