On Fri, 09 Jan 2004 16:01:42 GMT, BAC wrote:
Thanks for the responses. I've got a lot of research to do...looks like. =
I can see that this is not going to be a cheap trip and am willing to =
spend a few bucks but I hesitate to set myself up on an organized tour =
(which looks like the cheaper way to go). I can see that I will still =
You won't save money with organized tour, not even a low budget one.
For the cost of traveling independently and sleeping in hostels and
cheap guest houses, you get an overland tour where you sleep in tents.
Bring your own tent and you can travel independently for less than that.
What a tour buys you is simplicity of planning and a ready supply of
"friends" to share activities. (Sometimes one person isn't enough)
You lose on flexibility and comfort (or it costs more).
You really don't need a tour for the gorillas. All you need is a
willingness to negotiate for local transport on the last leg into
Bwindi.
have to join a safari for parts of the trip. I tend to just show up and =
try to put together my trip as I go (hit or miss approach...sometimes my =
timing is not so good). Now I'm toying with a northern route and then a =
boat trip into Uganda for the gorillas.....I'm looking for a new =
experience, to see the wild life and local color.
By the boat trip, I assume you mean crossing Lake Victoria between
Tanzania and Tanzania. Be aware that the Tanzania side is Mwanza, which
is not the easiest place to get in and out of. There are two ways of
getting from Mwanza to Arusha. The "normal" way is long trip via
Nairobi. As I recall, this also involves changing buses in the middle
of the night in Nairobi.
There is also supposed to be a bus that runs through Serengeti National
Park. It costs more because you have to pay park fees. When I was in
Arusha I ran into a couple who had intended to take that route but for
some reason could not. They ended up going via Nairobi.
It is also possible to travel by rail from Mwanza to Kigoma or Dar Es
Salaam.
I'm willing to spend a =
few bucks but tend to stay in budget accommodations. I have also learned =
that it is sometimes more cost effective to throw down the credit card =
and hop a local flight than to spend 2 days on a bus, train ect. I've =
eaten enough dust. By the by, how tough is it to use a credit card (I =
know, they have to charge you a %). I keep reading how US cash rules but =
having been held up, at gun point, and try to limit the cash I carry. =
How tough is it to cash TT's?
It's not hard to find money changers that will take travelers checks.
You will take a hit on the rate. Rates are better and travelers checks
more easily changeable in major towns.
You will generally not be able to spend travelers checks directly. The
major exception is safari's in Tanzania. The parks take travelers
checks and the safari company that used, Safari Makers, actually
preferred them.
You will find few opportunities to use a credit card. Banks can issue
cash advances but that is the most expensive way to change money.
You will need US$ cash for the gorillas and for transport on the MTV
Limbo.
I used ATM's in Kenya and Tanzania. ATM's are not many in Tanzania but
they do exist in Aisha and Dar Es Salaam. Uganda has ATM's but, at
least in 2002, they only worked for locally issued cards.
If you haven't already, I would strongly recommend getting a guide book
or two. Lonely Planet East Africa is pretty good for travel logistics
though it does have its blind spots.
Lonely Planet Thorn tree is good for filling in the gaps.
http://thorntree.lonelyplanet.com/
There are more budget travelers there than here.
--
Photos and travelogues from Africa and Southeast Asia:
http://www.exile.org