The boring questions, answered. Send anything not covered here as part of an enquiry.
[Pending Graham's content — typical flight route in, airport (likely OR Tambo / JNB), transfer arrangement to camp, travel time, what to expect on arrival.]
[Pending Graham's content — SAPS 520 process, what documents to have ready, what we handle, what the client handles. GO Safaris should describe how we help streamline the import process.]
[Pending Graham's content — overview of the CITES process for export, typical timeframes, who handles what, dip-and-pack vs full mounts decision, taxidermist coordination.]
[Pending Graham's content — passport validity, visa-on-arrival vs visa-required by nationality, what GO Safaris provides as a letter of invitation.]
[Pending Graham's content — malaria status of the home concession, recommended prophylaxis, yellow fever requirement if combining with other regions.]
O.R. Tambo International in Johannesburg (JNB). It is the main international gateway to South Africa and has direct flights from Europe, the Middle East and the United States.
GO Safaris Lodge is in Limpopo's bushveld, roughly four hours' drive north of Johannesburg. Most hunters land in the morning and are at the lodge in time for the evening fire.
Yes. A member of our team meets you after you clear customs and drives you to the lodge. Send us your flight details once they are booked and we will be there.
Visitors from the United States, the UK, most of Europe, Canada and Australia receive a free visitor's entry on arrival for stays up to 90 days. Your passport must be valid for at least 30 days after you leave and have two blank pages. Rules change, so check with your nearest South African embassy before you fly.
In two parts: a daily rate for each day you are with us, and a trophy fee for each animal taken. You only pay a trophy fee for what you hunt. The full figures are on our price list — use the "Get the price list" button on any page.
Your professional hunter, trackers and skinner, the hunting vehicle, your room at the lodge, all meals cooked by our cook, drinks, laundry, airport transfers and the field preparation of your trophies.
Trophy fees, 15% VAT, rifle hire and ammunition, permits for protected species, dipping, packing, taxidermy and shipping, tips for the team, your flights, and any hotel nights before or after the hunt.
Trophy fees and daily rates vary by concession and season. We quote each enquiry individually so the numbers we give you are the numbers we honour when you book.
A deposit holds your dates, and the balance is settled at the end of your hunt. We confirm the exact terms with your quote.
Bank transfer is simplest. Ask us before you travel if you would rather pay by card or cash, so we can tell you what is accepted.
The cool, dry months between April and September fill first. Booking nine to twelve months ahead gives you the widest choice of dates.
From April to September, South Africa's winter. Mornings are crisp, days are mild, the bush is thinner and animals come to water, which makes for better stalking and clearer shots.
Coffee before first light, then out with your professional hunter while the game is moving. The middle of the day is for a meal and rest at the lodge; the afternoon hunt runs until the light goes. The day ends at the braai, where the evening meal is cooked.
Both plains game and the Big Five. Plains game runs from impala and warthog to kudu, gemsbok, eland, waterbuck and sable. Dangerous game includes Cape buffalo, elephant, lion, leopard, rhinoceros and hippopotamus; some of these need special permits and are quoted individually. The full list is on our price list.
Seven to ten days suits most first trips. It leaves room for weather, for patience on a particular animal, and for a day off to enjoy the lodge.
Bowhunters are welcome. Tell us when you book so we can plan the right approach for the animals on your list.
Yes. You need a South African temporary import permit (the SAPS 520 form). Apply well before you travel — sixty days ahead is sensible — and keep your rifle and ammunition paperwork together for inspection at the airport. We can help with the process.
Yes, if you would rather not travel with your own. Let us know in advance so the right calibre is ready for you.
For plains game a .270 or larger with good soft-point or bonded bullets is a sound choice; Cape buffalo requires a .375 or larger by law. Bring at least forty rounds for a plains-game hunt and keep them in their original boxes.
Yes. The lodge has secure storage for rifles.
At GO Safaris Lodge, a thatched lodge among the trees with four bedrooms for up to nine guests. Every room has its own bathroom and air-conditioning. There is a pool and sun deck, a shaded patio, two lounges, a bar with a pool table and a fire area for the evenings.
Yes. Our cook prepares every meal, and after the hunt the table is already laid. Tell us about any allergies or diets when you book.
Yes, laundry is part of your stay, so pack light.
Ask us before you travel — signal in the bush varies, and we will tell you what to expect at the lodge.
Ask us on arrival; bottled water is always available at the lodge.
The risk in our part of Limpopo is low, especially in the dry winter months when most hunts take place. It is not zero, so speak to your doctor about whether you need tablets.
None are required to enter South Africa unless you arrive from a country with yellow fever, in which case you need the certificate. Your doctor may advise routine travel vaccines.
Yes. Take insurance that covers medical emergencies and evacuation, and ideally trip cancellation as well.
Thousands of international hunters visit every year. You are met at the airport and are with our team from then on; the lodge is on private land well away from the cities.
Our team skins and field-prepares every animal the same day. You then choose: have them mounted in South Africa and shipped finished, or have them dipped and packed and sent home to your own taxidermist.
Dip-and-pack shipments usually arrive within six to eight months. Finished mounts take longer, often a year or more, because the work is done here before shipping.
An international agreement that controls trade in protected species. Some animals need a CITES export permit before their trophies can leave South Africa; most plains game does not. We will tell you before the hunt if an animal on your list needs one.
No. Each hunter's trophies are documented and shipped under their own name.
In winter (May to August) mornings can be close to freezing and afternoons pleasantly warm, with almost no rain. April and September are warmer. Pack in layers.
Clothing in muted greens and browns, a warm jacket and beanie for early mornings, comfortable broken-in boots, a hat, sunscreen, binoculars, a headlamp and any personal medicine. Laundry is done for you, so three or four sets of hunting clothes are enough.
Yes. Partners and family are welcome at an observer rate, and can join the hunt, rest at the lodge or plan outings of their own.
Game drives, bush walks, birdwatching, the pool and simply time in the bush. Ask us about day trips in the area.
Tipping is customary and always appreciated, but never expected. We send guideline amounts with your booking confirmation.
Send it directly. Graham reads them himself.