Tanzania Sugested Routes of Travel ....got 4 weeks to play with

"BAC" wrote:

I'm debating on which Binos to bring...my light, compact Nikon
10x21.5 or the heavy, bulky 7x35...any thought?

Good question. Bring both. :-)

You don't need binoculars all that often. I always have a very
light binocular with me, mainly for determining whether that
yellow spot in the distance is a lion or a "lion stone". But
they're also great for observation if you can't get close or if
the object is something small, like a bird.

I find that high magnifications, like 10, are often
counterproductive. 7 or 8 is just fine.

Unless you want to use them at night (probably not very often),
you have plenty of light, so you don't need big apertures
either.

The only other thing that seems to matter a lot is optical
quality. The cheap supermarket devices just don't cut it. They
make my eyes hurt.

Hans-Georg

--
No mail, please.

Why not? I want to do some diving and work on this Seattle rust. Lot-o-folks
love the place. I figure I'm going whether its the first or last place I
hit in Tanzania. One guy wrote that you should go there first as to no be
let down after going on safari



"Hans-Georg Michna" wrote in message
...
Liz wrote:

In message
"BAC" wrote:

got to check out Dar also but I'm not sure why.

Me neither.

The name sounds romantic, but the town doesn't live up to it, AFAICS.

Liz,

I was almost going to write something similar. Actually I'm not
even sure whether it's a good idea to go to Zanzibar on a first
time trip, but then people have different inclinations.

Hans-Georg

--
No mail, please.

Ya, I saw a lot of "Stone Grizzly Bears" in Glacier Nat. Park... even got
a picture of one
"Hans-Georg Michna" wrote in message
...
"BAC" wrote:

I'm debating on which Binos to bring...my light, compact Nikon
10x21.5 or the heavy, bulky 7x35...any thought?

Good question. Bring both. :-)

You don't need binoculars all that often. I always have a very
light binocular with me, mainly for determining whether that
yellow spot in the distance is a lion or a "lion stone". But
they're also great for observation if you can't get close or if
the object is something small, like a bird.

I find that high magnifications, like 10, are often
counterproductive. 7 or 8 is just fine.

Unless you want to use them at night (probably not very often),
you have plenty of light, so you don't need big apertures
either.

The only other thing that seems to matter a lot is optical
quality. The cheap supermarket devices just don't cut it. They
make my eyes hurt.

Hans-Georg

--
No mail, please.

Who do you use for safaris? I don't like the idea of the hassle of finding a
safari on the fly....I've done that trip in Venezuela...try to get enough
people for fill the trip or join one but it doesn't leave for a few days or
ect....good timing is important ( I'm not know for my good timing).
"Liz" wrote in message
...
In message
"BAC" wrote:

Ya, one hour ballooning for that price is high.Maybe its bragging rights
but
the thought of drifting over the Serengeti conjures up great images...if
only for an hour. Hell, I could hop on a balloon here and get a bigger
bang
for the buck dollar wise but she aint the Serengeti. Liz, did you try
it?
No, I'm a mid-range safari-goer, and the cost of a balloon trip is about
two
more days...and having talked to some people who have done it, I'm not yet
convinced.

I do like the idea of floating over the dunes in Namibia....another
trip. How
did you like Namibia?
Loved it, but the wildlife experiences are IMO better in Kenya/Tanzania.
*But* I wasn't 'north of the veterinary line', which I believe is
different.
But the dunes were absolutlely fantastic.

As for Tsavo East, maneless lions and the springs.
Less travelers. Just a thought. It looks like I'll follow a rough plan
and
see were I end up time wise and adjust accordingly. Liz, et al, got any
suggestions?
Hmmm
We didn't see much in Tsavo East, though the huge file of buffalos
streaming
into the waterhole at Voi Lodge was certainly stunning.

It is always easy to get away from the crowds if you tell your
driver/guide
that's what you want (and the rest of your party agrees).

I always have everything planned out and booked before we go, because I
just
couldn't be bothered with the bother of charging around Nairobi/Arusha
seeing what the different companies have available, comparing deals,
fending
off touts etc. Life's too short for that sort of hassle, IMO. I like to do
the work before we go so that we can spend maximum time in the field. I
can't imagine getting 'safaried out'. However, we're all different.

IME, it would be very difficult to get an 'off the shelf' safari which
gives
you more than two nights in any one place: usually they are one-night, two
nights. We do tailor-mades, which are more expensive than e.g. a
Kuoni/Somak
trip, but surprisingly not necessarily much more expensive than some trips
organised by the 'specialist' companies, which still do one night/two
night
with six people in a vehicle, but where you're sometimes paying for an
extra
guide. Mind you, that's for two people. On your own, the prices would
soar.
Tell me about it. :-(

Slainte

Liz

--
Virtual Liz at http://www.v-liz.co.uk
Kenya; Tanzania; India; Seychelles; Namibia
"I speak of Africa and golden joys"

"BAC" wrote:

Why not? I want to do some diving and work on this Seattle rust. Lot-o-folks
love the place. I figure I'm going whether its the first or last place I
hit in Tanzania. One guy wrote that you should go there first as to no be
let down after going on safari

That was me.

Note that I've been careful not to write an outright
recommendation against Zanzibar. :-) Some people may like it.

It certainly has its charm, but for a first trip I'd recommend
concentrate on savannah wildlife.

But if you have 4 weeks, you might as well spend a few days at
the coast. I do recommend two or three nights in Lamu. You'd
probably have to fly there. You may have seen the photos on my
web site. Zanzibar is remotely similar, but bigger.

It becomes a different matter if you're into snorkeling or
diving.

Hans-Georg

--
No mail, please.

In message
"BAC" wrote:

Who do you use for safaris? I don't like the idea of the hassle of finding a
safari on the fly....
I book through a company called Worldwide Journeys and Expeditions in
London, to get the ATOL bonding, which for me is a sine qua non. This is now a
branch of a bigger company called the Ultimate Travel Company. They work
with Express Travel Group in Kenya and their sister company Leopard Tours.
All of these do set tours as examples, but really specialise in
tailor-making. Their 'set tours' are the usual one night/two-night, and can
look scarily expensive, as they stay in homestays and small camps, but they
book us in at the big lodges and camps (at our request!), which drops the
price considerably.

When we were in Tanzania we had a fantastic young driver/guide called Alan
Okoth. At the time, he was working for Leopard, but he told us he was hoping
to set up his own business once he'd got more experience, and I've since
heard he has done so, and it's called (forget, I'll do a search and get
back!) I'm not sure whether he's linked up with any European/US based tour
operator, though. His domain seemed to be hosted from Australia, the last
time I looked!

Websites (with the scarily expensive set trips!)
http://www.worldwidejourneys.co.uk/e_africa/page.shtml
http://www.etg-safaris.com
http://www.leopard-tours.com/leomain.html

ater:

I did an alta-vista search on Alan Okoth which didn't throw up the site.
I'll need another think

Liz


--
Virtual Liz at http://www.v-liz.co.uk
Kenya; Tanzania; India; Seychelles; Namibia
"I speak of Africa and golden joys"

In message
Liz wrote:

In message
"BAC" wrote:

Who do you use for safaris? I don't like the idea of the hassle of finding a
safari on the fly....

They work with Express Travel Group in Kenya and their sister company
Leopard Tours.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^ in Tanzania.

Whoops!

--
Virtual Liz at http://www.v-liz.co.uk
Kenya; Tanzania; India; Seychelles; Namibia
"I speak of Africa and golden joys"

Scarily expensive. I know I'll have to drop a buck or two I just got to get
over the pricing and go for it. World Wide has got my knees shaking....hang
on, take a deep breath and slowly open the wallet ;-)
Thanks for the info...I keep thinking that when you break down the
cost...park fees, transportation cost, guides, driver, food and lodging plus
profit it all adds up. I usually will rent a car for a couple of days when
I'm on the road to break away form the pack...have any advice on a short
road trip?


"Liz" wrote in message
...
In message
"BAC" wrote:

Who do you use for safaris? I don't like the idea of the hassle of
finding a
safari on the fly....
I book through a company called Worldwide Journeys and Expeditions in
London, to get the ATOL bonding, which for me is a sine qua non. This is
now a
branch of a bigger company called the Ultimate Travel Company. They work
with Express Travel Group in Kenya and their sister company Leopard Tours.
All of these do set tours as examples, but really specialize in
tailor-making. Their 'set tours' are the usual one night/two-night, and
can
look scarily expensive, as they stay in homestays and small camps, but
they
book us in at the big lodges and camps (at our request!), which drops the
price considerably.

When we were in Tanzania we had a fantastic young driver/guide called Alan
Okoth. At the time, he was working for Leopard, but he told us he was
hoping
to set up his own business once he'd got more experience, and I've since
heard he has done so, and it's called (forget, I'll do a search and get
back!) I'm not sure whether he's linked up with any European/US based tour
operator, though. His domain seemed to be hosted from Australia, the last
time I looked!

Websites (with the scarily expensive set trips!)
http://www.worldwidejourneys.co.uk/e_africa/page.shtml
http://www.etg-safaris.com
http://www.leopard-tours.com/leomain.html

ater:

I did an alta-vista search on Alan Okoth which didn't throw up the site.
I'll need another think

Liz


--
Virtual Liz at http://www.v-liz.co.uk
Kenya; Tanzania; India; Seychelles; Namibia
"I speak of Africa and golden joys"

In message
"BAC" wrote:

Scarily expensive. I know I'll have to drop a buck or two I just got to get
over the pricing and go for it. World Wide has got my knees shaking....hang
on, take a deep breath and slowly open the wallet ;-)
Remember, these prices are based on expensive accommodation.
Also probably the flights from UK are included, whereas I've noticed that
sometimes with US safari pricings, flights are extra (depends on the
company). In the UK, it often seems to make sense to book flights with the
same company, as they have usually negociated discounts.


Thanks for the info...I keep thinking that when you break down the
cost...park fees, transportation cost, guides, driver, food and lodging plus
profit it all adds up. I usually will rent a car for a couple of days when
I'm on the road to break away form the pack...have any advice on a short
road trip?
Someone else will have to advise.
For the safari (game viewing) part of the trip, the guide is more than worth
his pay, which is very little by our standards anyway. Then, of course,
you're paying for his accommodation (usually in drivers' quarters) and food
too.
For the other things you're interested in, it might be worth doing it
yourself, I wouldn't do it, and not only because I have no vehicle
maintenance/repair skills! Others do it, though.
I'd consider it in Namibia if I weren't on my own, but not in East Africa.

Liz
--
Virtual Liz at http://www.v-liz.co.uk
Kenya; Tanzania; India; Seychelles; Namibia
"I speak of Africa and golden joys"

"BAC" wrote:

have any advice on a short road trip?

Well, entire trips are completely planned, including loadable
GPS routes, on http://www.michna.com/kenya.htm. You have
probably already seen them.

However, they are not short, and they are in Kenya, not
Tanzania. For Kenya I have a few proposals:

One short trip, actually a full day trip, is to spend the day in
a rented car in Nairobi National Park. When it is entirely dry
and you're a bit careful, you don't even have to use a
four-wheel-drive and can use a normal limousine. I've done this
occasionally to spend a free day out in the bush.

Another trip that I think can be done quite nicely is up north
in the Rift Valley, particularly to Lake Nakuru, but even up to
Lake Bogoria and Lake Baringo. These are tarmac roads (paved
roads in Kenyan parlance). You'd be better off with a jeep
nonetheless for driving inside the nature reserves, although it
could probably be done in dry weather with a normal car. I'm not
really sure here, because I always use a jeep when I leave
Nairobi.

If you decide to do a longer trip without having any experience,
I think you can do that if you can make the best use of two
technologies---GPS, so you don't get lost, and a satellite
phone, so you can call help if you get stuck. GSM phones will
not do, because of poor coverage. A third very important must is
to get lots of information, particularly about places, people,
and risks.

I don't really recommend it for a newcomer, but of course it can
be done.

Hans-Georg

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No mail, please.