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"Mini safari" from Zanzibar?



 
 
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  #1  
Old December 17th, 2004, 08:01 PM
Jørn-Morten Innselset
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Default "Mini safari" from Zanzibar?

This may seem like a silly idea, but is it at all feasible to squeeze a
mainland safari into our 12 day Zanzibar trip in February? Perhaps by
boating to Dar, and then arranging for a two or three day safari to Mikumi
or Saadani? We are not _desperate_ to see lions and elephants in the wild,
but if this is something that is easily done and at all recommendable on a
limited budget it would be nice to have the option.

jmi


  #2  
Old December 17th, 2004, 08:48 PM
Liz
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In message
"Jørn-Morten Innselset" wrote:

This may seem like a silly idea, but is it at all feasible to squeeze a
mainland safari into our 12 day Zanzibar trip in February? Perhaps by
boating to Dar, and then arranging for a two or three day safari to Mikumi
or Saadani? We are not _desperate_ to see lions and elephants in the wild,
but if this is something that is easily done and at all recommendable on a
limited budget it would be nice to have the option.


It is certainly possible, I'm not sure about the 'limited budget': it
depends how limited.
In case you don't know, a nice thing you can do on Zanzibar is to go to see
the Zanzibar Red Colobus (monkeys) at Jozani Forest.
Plus the snorkelling off Chumbe Island is fantastic.

Safari njema

Liz

--
Virtual Liz now at http://www.v-liz.com
Kenya; Tanzania; Namibia; India; Seychelles; Galapagos
"I speak of Africa and golden joys"
  #3  
Old December 17th, 2004, 08:48 PM
Liz
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Posts: n/a
Default

In message
"Jørn-Morten Innselset" wrote:

This may seem like a silly idea, but is it at all feasible to squeeze a
mainland safari into our 12 day Zanzibar trip in February? Perhaps by
boating to Dar, and then arranging for a two or three day safari to Mikumi
or Saadani? We are not _desperate_ to see lions and elephants in the wild,
but if this is something that is easily done and at all recommendable on a
limited budget it would be nice to have the option.


It is certainly possible, I'm not sure about the 'limited budget': it
depends how limited.
In case you don't know, a nice thing you can do on Zanzibar is to go to see
the Zanzibar Red Colobus (monkeys) at Jozani Forest.
Plus the snorkelling off Chumbe Island is fantastic.

Safari njema

Liz

--
Virtual Liz now at http://www.v-liz.com
Kenya; Tanzania; Namibia; India; Seychelles; Galapagos
"I speak of Africa and golden joys"
  #4  
Old December 17th, 2004, 09:13 PM
Jørn-Morten Innselset
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Posts: n/a
Default

"Liz" wrote in message
...
It is certainly possible, I'm not sure about the 'limited budget': it
depends how limited.
In case you don't know, a nice thing you can do on Zanzibar is to go to
see
the Zanzibar Red Colobus (monkeys) at Jozani Forest.
Plus the snorkelling off Chumbe Island is fantastic.


Thanks, Liz

By limited I mean that as a safari really is not our main target activity,
we might stretch to $200-300 each if it at all is worth the time and money.
Would a trip to the southern game reserves pale considerably compared to
Ngorongoro and Serengeti, and would we be better off saving the whole safari
experience for another journey? I really don't know what to expect, and what
makes a "good" safari (except not being ripped off or avoiding being killed
in a freak road accident).

Thanks for the tip about the monkeys and the snorkelling, that's certainly
something we will do (I'm getting hit over the head by friends for not
planning to go diving in Zanzibar, but that whole underwater thing is just
not my cup of tea... :\ )

jm


  #5  
Old December 17th, 2004, 09:13 PM
Jørn-Morten Innselset
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

"Liz" wrote in message
...
It is certainly possible, I'm not sure about the 'limited budget': it
depends how limited.
In case you don't know, a nice thing you can do on Zanzibar is to go to
see
the Zanzibar Red Colobus (monkeys) at Jozani Forest.
Plus the snorkelling off Chumbe Island is fantastic.


Thanks, Liz

By limited I mean that as a safari really is not our main target activity,
we might stretch to $200-300 each if it at all is worth the time and money.
Would a trip to the southern game reserves pale considerably compared to
Ngorongoro and Serengeti, and would we be better off saving the whole safari
experience for another journey? I really don't know what to expect, and what
makes a "good" safari (except not being ripped off or avoiding being killed
in a freak road accident).

Thanks for the tip about the monkeys and the snorkelling, that's certainly
something we will do (I'm getting hit over the head by friends for not
planning to go diving in Zanzibar, but that whole underwater thing is just
not my cup of tea... :\ )

jm


  #6  
Old December 17th, 2004, 09:29 PM
Liz
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Posts: n/a
Default

In message
"Jørn-Morten Innselset" wrote:


Thanks, Liz

By limited I mean that as a safari really is not our main target activity,
we might stretch to $200-300 each if it at all is worth the time and money.
Would a trip to the southern game reserves pale considerably compared to
Ngorongoro and Serengeti, and would we be better off saving the whole safari
experience for another journey? I really don't know what to expect, and what
makes a "good" safari (except not being ripped off or avoiding being killed
in a freak road accident).

The only real rip-off merchants I've heard of seem to be the 'rock-bottom
budget' outfits, and even that may not be deliberate, but just a result of
the fact that because they are very low budget, they haven't themselves got
the funds to allow for 'contingencies'.

Freak road accidents, sadly, can happen at any time. :-(

I can't actually help about Saadani and Mkumi as I haven't been to either.
If no-one posts in the next couple of days, I'll try to get in touch with
our local RSPB warden, who's actually a Tanzanian national (technically: he
left when he was about 11: a few years back he was seconded for two years to
work near Mkumi and went into the park quite a bit: though on his own, not
with a company.

It is becoming very standard nowadays to have a safari which 'does' Ruaha,
Selous and Zanzibar, but these never seem to be cheap - as far as I know all
the camps in Ruaha and Selous are pretty expensive. I've been in Selous
http://www.v-liz.com/safari/tanzania/selous/sel_a.htm. When we went, the
game was rather 'skittish', but that was in '98 and the reserve was very
little visited then. The guides were assuming that the more the reserve was
visited, the more habituated the animals would be. It may also be that since
we were there, some less expensive accommodations will have opened? But you
would really have to fly in from Dar or you'd lose a lot of time travelling,
which would push the prices up.

I've also got some Zanzibar & Chumbe pages, which aren't particularly
informative(!).
http://www.v-liz.com/safari/tanzania...bar/zanhom.htm

I'm sure you'll have a great time, whatever you decide.
(Be *sure* to have sundowners and an evening meal at New Emerson's)

Safari njema

Liz



--
Virtual Liz now at http://www.v-liz.com
Kenya; Tanzania; Namibia; India; Seychelles; Galapagos
"I speak of Africa and golden joys"
  #7  
Old December 17th, 2004, 09:29 PM
Liz
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

In message
"Jørn-Morten Innselset" wrote:


Thanks, Liz

By limited I mean that as a safari really is not our main target activity,
we might stretch to $200-300 each if it at all is worth the time and money.
Would a trip to the southern game reserves pale considerably compared to
Ngorongoro and Serengeti, and would we be better off saving the whole safari
experience for another journey? I really don't know what to expect, and what
makes a "good" safari (except not being ripped off or avoiding being killed
in a freak road accident).

The only real rip-off merchants I've heard of seem to be the 'rock-bottom
budget' outfits, and even that may not be deliberate, but just a result of
the fact that because they are very low budget, they haven't themselves got
the funds to allow for 'contingencies'.

Freak road accidents, sadly, can happen at any time. :-(

I can't actually help about Saadani and Mkumi as I haven't been to either.
If no-one posts in the next couple of days, I'll try to get in touch with
our local RSPB warden, who's actually a Tanzanian national (technically: he
left when he was about 11: a few years back he was seconded for two years to
work near Mkumi and went into the park quite a bit: though on his own, not
with a company.

It is becoming very standard nowadays to have a safari which 'does' Ruaha,
Selous and Zanzibar, but these never seem to be cheap - as far as I know all
the camps in Ruaha and Selous are pretty expensive. I've been in Selous
http://www.v-liz.com/safari/tanzania/selous/sel_a.htm. When we went, the
game was rather 'skittish', but that was in '98 and the reserve was very
little visited then. The guides were assuming that the more the reserve was
visited, the more habituated the animals would be. It may also be that since
we were there, some less expensive accommodations will have opened? But you
would really have to fly in from Dar or you'd lose a lot of time travelling,
which would push the prices up.

I've also got some Zanzibar & Chumbe pages, which aren't particularly
informative(!).
http://www.v-liz.com/safari/tanzania...bar/zanhom.htm

I'm sure you'll have a great time, whatever you decide.
(Be *sure* to have sundowners and an evening meal at New Emerson's)

Safari njema

Liz



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




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