If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the FAQ by clicking the link above. You may have to register before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below. |
|
|
Thread Tools | Display Modes |
#21
|
|||
|
|||
Thanks to all of you for your replies.
Thanks the info.
Sounds like I might have left it too late this year, although a couple of safari companies are still offering itineraries in June and July. I'm still waiting for some replies. One of them is saying July is the best time to visit East Africa, but it sounds as though that might not be correct. Bill, that website that tracks the migration looks very useful and I have bookmarked it. Regards Michael |
#22
|
|||
|
|||
Bad Year to Go To East Africa?
On Sun, 26 Feb 2006 20:32:51 +1100, Michael Kilpatrick wrote:
Any idea of how this affects game viewing in Kenya and Tanzania? It's obviously a tragedy for the local people and animals, but I am considering a vist to East Africa later this year. It's so expensive I want, as far as possible, to avoid going at a bad time. Michael, it is macabre, but times of draught are the best for viewing predators. The simple reason is that many big animals have to concentrate around the remaining sources of water, so it is easy to find the predators there. In fact, times of draught are difficult for herbivores, but they are the fat months for the big predators. Hans-Georg -- No mail, please. |
#23
|
|||
|
|||
Bad Year to Go To East Africa?
On Sun, 26 Feb 2006 11:00:21 GMT, Liz wrote:
The rains might come yet! Liz, well, the height of the coming rainy season is usually in April. It's still February now, so the rains should still increase. I'm not sure about northern Kenya though. Even Baringo has had years without any rain at all. Hans-Georg -- No mail, please. |
#24
|
|||
|
|||
Hopefully Final Question
It sounds like it isn't ideal to visit Kenya and Tanzania at the same time
for my purpose. After considering the info provided by you people, I'm wondering about just doing a shorter package safari in Tanzania (about 10 days) in June and also spending some time in South Africa. There still appear to be vacancies at that time in the packages I have looked at. I'll probably be flying via Joh'burg anyway and that way I could have a look around in Tanzania and get a sense of what's possible, then get back to the familiar territory of South Africa for some (cheap) time in Kruger or Kgalagadi with possibly a few days in a private reserve. Is my thinking about East Africa reasonable ie for migration viewing purposes, ie Tanzania or Kenya, but not both in the one trip? Thanks Again Michael |
#25
|
|||
|
|||
Bad Year to Go To East Africa?
Thanks Hans-Georg
Despite my desire to see the big migration, I'm sure I would be pretty excited to see a real concentration of predators, so that's useful advice. Regards Michael |
#26
|
|||
|
|||
Hopefully Final Question
Michael Kilpatrick wrote:
After considering the info provided by you people, I'm wondering about just doing a shorter package safari in Tanzania (about 10 days) in June and also spending some time in South Africa. That's my suggestion. In the past, I have operated that exact itinerary for groups of clients - in June. |
#27
|
|||
|
|||
Hopefully Final Question
In message
"Michael Kilpatrick" wrote: Is my thinking about East Africa reasonable ie for migration viewing purposes, ie Tanzania or Kenya, but not both in the one trip? I'd say so. You could do both, but there's little point. When we were in Tz in July, some of the animals were already in the Mara, but there were still masses in the Serengeti. Also, the Mara is basically the same habitat as the Serengeti: the same ecosystem, it's just a political border! But it's a *big* detour to get from one to the other. If you're taking a regular package you should be able to get places, as lots of the big companies book up places in advance, and only release them if unsold within a relatively short time of the date. (At least, that's what the big UK package operators do.) Often when booking a private trip, I've had one or two destinations on hold and got them when they've been released. What the UK specialist tour operators (who do private tailor-made tours) seem to do if they can't get your first choice is book you into one lodge/camp in the same area 'in case' you can't get the one you asked for, but if your place becomes available you get moved. We've always been lucky so far, but I don't imagine the 'reserve' accommodation likes it! Maybe there's a 'hidden' cost of the deposit included in our tours. Slainte Liz -- Virtual Liz: http://www.v-liz.com Kenya; Tanzania; Namibia; India; Seychelles; Galapagos Photo blog of Make Povery History rally in Edinburgh 2 July 2005: http://www.v-liz.com/g8rally/protest.htm |
#28
|
|||
|
|||
Thanks to all of you for your replies.
Michael Kilpatrick wrote:
Sounds like I might have left it too late this year, although a couple of safari companies are still offering itineraries in June and July. I'm still waiting for some replies. In June, the rainy season should be over. In July it definitely is. One of them is saying July is the best time to visit East Africa, but it sounds as though that might not be correct. It's a good time and not yet so crowded as August. -- Johan W. Elzenga johanatjohanfoto.nl Editor / Photographer http://www.johanfoto.nl |
#29
|
|||
|
|||
Hopefully Final Question
Yes, there definitely appear to be places available and the package tours
all have pretty much the same itineray. I'd rather do one with 3 or 4 nights in the Serengeti, but that doesn't seem to happen. The only real question seems to be camping or lodge, and surprisingly, the "classic" camping safaris are just as expensive as the lodge safaris. Cheers Michael |
#30
|
|||
|
|||
Bad Year to Go To East Africa?
Have you actually sent many clients to Serengeti in the
April - May rainy season? Dave Patterson wrote I haven't. Knowing that you are a lot more comfortable than the average client would be with things like rain, I say GO. We are used to photographing brown bears in the rain in Alaska (five straight days of rain last Sept while camping at Katmai) so know how to protect the gear and shoot in moderate rain, but I'm concerned about the roads if it rains heavily in Tanzania, especially getting down the west side of Ngorongoro to the Serengeti ... at any rate, I wired the $$ and we are signed on for April 1-10, 3 nights at Manyara and seven nights in the Serengeti. We'll see how this goes Now that we are about 130 days with NO measurable precipitation in the Phoenix area, a little rain sounds pretty good It's up to 132 days (all-time record) but today there's a 40% chance of rain (!!!) ... then another dry spell on the horizon ... Bill |
Thread Tools | |
Display Modes | |
|
|
Similar Threads | ||||
Thread | Thread Starter | Forum | Replies | Last Post |
New Malaria Treatment Drugs in Kenya | Pat Anderson | Africa | 1 | July 2nd, 2012 01:05 PM |
Kenya International forum | [email protected] | Africa | 0 | March 10th, 2005 04:15 AM |
Kenya Safari September 2005 | Stephen Robertson | Africa | 24 | March 8th, 2005 09:44 AM |
Kenya/ Tanzania photo safari forming NOW! Aug. 04 | Cabo Kurt | Africa | 0 | May 25th, 2004 12:01 AM |
Driving in Kenya Can Be Hazardous to Your Health | Hans-Georg Michna | Africa | 0 | May 4th, 2004 07:03 AM |