Hints wanted on planning for a 2-weeks Safari in Tansania

Hello there!

Maybe this is much too early yet, but I feel like beginning to plan for
a Tansania Safari to take place in August of 2007.

We will be a couple just about getting near the 50-year-frontier, plus
our son (19 years old then). We have some Safari experience based on 3
individually organized tours we did in Kenya, where the latest of them
has been totally planned and carried out by ourselves.

But this was quite some time ago, so that I am sort of uncertain now
whether for Tansania, we should just "book" a Safari or try to arrange
one completely on our own. I know quite well from our tours in Kenya,
that being on Safari - especially when you're on your own - can be kind
of demanding and exhausting. And as we're no longer those young guys we
used to be in those days, I wonder ...

Your opinions here are welcome.


The Safari should be at least 14 days.

Would you prefer to start in Arusha, or in Dar Es Salaam?

We have not too much points on our itinerary yet. Of course we want to
visit the Serengeti, for maybe a week. And I want to stay for at least
one night at the Lobo Lodge near the Kenyan border. What else would you
suggest?


After the end of our Safari we'd like to add a week to be spent at the
coast near Tiwi in Kenya - for relaxing and to "process" all those fresh
emotions and impressions from Tansania.

What would be the best way to change countries here? A flight from
Arusha or Dar Es Salaam to Mombasa? I guess there is no overland bus
from Tansania to Kenya that could be recommended, is there?


Cheers and asante sana!

In message , Paul
Altmann writes
Hello there!

Maybe this is much too early yet, but I feel like beginning to plan for
a Tansania Safari to take place in August of 2007.

Never too early!
We will be a couple just about getting near the 50-year-frontier, plus
our son (19 years old then). We have some Safari experience based on 3
individually organized tours we did in Kenya, where the latest of them
has been totally planned and carried out by ourselves.

But this was quite some time ago, so that I am sort of uncertain now
whether for Tansania, we should just "book" a Safari or try to arrange
one completely on our own. I know quite well from our tours in Kenya,
that being on Safari - especially when you're on your own - can be kind
of demanding and exhausting. And as we're no longer those young guys we
used to be in those days, I wonder ...

We organized our tour with operators in Tanzania. They suggested some
itineraries and we went thorough about four modifications until we got
what suited us. It was a nice compromise and we certainly felt it was
our trip. We camped at some public campsites, to keep the cost down so
we could have a longer holiday, but we also stayed in lodges. Speak to
a few operators to build up an idea of what's on offer.

We would still prefer self-drive as a first choice but it is not as easy
in Tanzania as in Southern Africa.

We have a report and pictures at
http://www.wildworldweb.co.uk/holidays/tanzania.htm
This may give you some idea if we can offer you further help.

I don't know when you booked you organised your last trip but with email
communication it has never been easier.
Fifty and full of energy - at least when it comes to travelling in
Africa,
--
John Macdonald

Paul Altmann wrote:
Maybe this is much too early yet, but I feel like beginning to plan for
a Tansania Safari to take place in August of 2007.

.... I am sort of uncertain now
whether for Tansania, we should just "book" a Safari or try to arrange
one completely on our own.

You can book a custom safari out of Arusha, that's pretty easy to do
and for a group of three it makes sense so you can build a custom
itinerary. My wife and I went with a group of 15 photographers last
January and learned the ropes, then did a similar trip on our own in
April and are going back next year with two friends in two jeeps. Once
you get in touch with one of the half dozen or so best safari
outfitters in Arusha it's pretty straight-forward to set this up.

Would you prefer to start in Arusha, or in Dar Es Salaam?

The safari companies are based mostly in Arusha ... typical trip is to
fly into Kilimanjaro airport on the KLM flight from Amsterdam, get met
by your guide, overnight either in Arusha or near Mt. Meru (on the way
to town) or similar, start the safari the next AM. A couple of popular
parks are only a couple of hours from Arusha (Manyara, Tarangire).

Of course we want to
visit the Serengeti, for maybe a week.

This is one of the worst times to visit the Serengeti since the bulk of
the migration is in Kenya, there has been little rain since May, and
sometimes they burn the grass ... or so I hear ... I wouldn't spend a
week there in August unless you move to more than one place (we spent
seven nights there in April near Seronera and five nights on the
south-east border in January)

And I want to stay for at least one night at the Lobo Lodge near
the Kenyan border.

The agents we've booked with in Tanzania have tried to discourage us
from staying at the "Wildlife" lodges, like Lobo, saying the service is
poor, the buildings are run down and the food is sometimes bad ...
these are the lodges originally built and managed by the Tz government
in the socialist days and were supposedly sold to a company without the
capital to bring them up to par ... or so one hears.

What else would you suggest?

The other logical places to visit up there are Ngorongoro Crater, Lake
Manyara National Park and Tarangire National Park. Crater has water
year round, 80-100 lions, 400-500 hyenas (most dense predator
population in Tz), ~30,000 head of non-migratory antelope for the
predators to chase so you'll see a lot there, though there are access
and over-crowding issues. Manyara has year-round water and is famous
for birds, elephants and tree-climbing lions but it's a very small park
so some people are disappointed in it ... we like to photograph birds
so always try to stay there 2-3 days though.

Our guides told us that in August - Oct Tarangire is typically better
than Serengeti because it has a permanent river, so attracts lots of
game (especially elephants) ... dunno if this is so (we were there in
January 3 nights and it was the least interesting park we visited in
January) but that's what the guides claimed. If we were to go in Oct
we'd spend several days here for sure.

What would be the best way to change countries here? A flight from
Arusha or Dar Es Salaam to Mombasa? I guess there is no overland bus
from Tansania to Kenya that could be recommended, is there?

It's not too far from Arusha to Nairobi, a quick flight ... I seem to
remember seeing a bus or shuttle service listed on the board from one
of the hotels we used in Arusha.

Bill

John, Bill, thanks for you input.


Bill wrote:

Once
you get in touch with one of the half dozen or so best safari
outfitters in Arusha it's pretty straight-forward to set this up.

Could you name some of them?


This is one of the worst times to visit the Serengeti since the bulk of
the migration is in Kenya

OK - we've been to Kenya during migration, and found it quite morbid at
times: all those carcasses in the river Mara ...

When is the migration normally due to begin in the Serengeti? Mid-July?
End of it?



John Macdonald schrieb:

We camped at some public campsites, to keep the cost down so
we could have a longer holiday, but we also stayed in lodges.

Do tour operators or others rent camping equipment normally?


We have a report and pictures at
http://www.wildworldweb.co.uk/holidays/tanzania.htm

Will check that as soon as I can take the time out.


Thanks

Hello,

I agree with what has been said above about the migration, carcasses
and time of year.

I think you should ask yourself what you want to see or do. If its the
migration then change you trip to fit in better with it and get the
best possible from it. On the otherhand, if you're just looking for a 2
week safari and you want to share the experience with your family then
there are plenty of places all over africa to choose from.

You could also spilt you tour up and have a week on safari and then
another week at a beach (zanzibar/mozambique) or perhaps something in
Cape Town (wine farms, table mountain, garden route), or Victoria
Falls.

Hope this helps

John

www.toursforafrica.net




Paul Altmann wrote:
John, Bill, thanks for you input.


Bill wrote:

Once
you get in touch with one of the half dozen or so best safari
outfitters in Arusha it's pretty straight-forward to set this up.

Could you name some of them?


This is one of the worst times to visit the Serengeti since the bulk of
the migration is in Kenya

OK - we've been to Kenya during migration, and found it quite morbid at
times: all those carcasses in the river Mara ...

When is the migration normally due to begin in the Serengeti? Mid-July?
End of it?



John Macdonald schrieb:

We camped at some public campsites, to keep the cost down so
we could have a longer holiday, but we also stayed in lodges.

Do tour operators or others rent camping equipment normally?


We have a report and pictures at
http://www.wildworldweb.co.uk/holidays/tanzania.htm

Will check that as soon as I can take the time out.


Thanks

schrieb:

I think you should ask yourself what you want to see or do. If its the
migration then change you trip

No, it's not so much the migration we want to see. We experienced it
before, and well, yes, it was spectacular but I have learned that
trying to repeat such a great experience mostly failes somehow.

On the otherhand, if you're just looking for a 2
week safari and you want to share the experience with your family then
there are plenty of places all over africa to choose from.

Agreed. But we'd like to stick to the Tansania/Kenya area.


You could also spilt you tour up and have a week on safari and then
another week at a beach (zanzibar/mozambique)

Are there beach locations in Tansania that can "compete" with the
Kenyan coast south of Mombasa?

Thanks

John Macdonald schrieb:

We camped at some public campsites, to keep the cost down so
we could have a longer holiday, but we also stayed in lodges.

Do tour operators or others rent camping equipment normally?


Yes. We had a driver and cook with us. They put up the tents and did
all the hard work for us.

The vehicle coped well with four adults and all the equipment. On the
days we stayed two nights at a campsite or lodge, the cook stayed at
base - he had seen it all before!
--
John Macdonald

"Paul Altmann" wrote in message
ups.com...
schrieb:


Are there beach locations in Tansania that can "compete" with the
Kenyan coast south of Mombasa?

I haven't been there, but my daughter took the ferry from Dar es Salaam to
Zanzibar and liked that city/island well enough to stay for a week. She is
taking my wife there when we visit in July, so she thought enough of
Zanzibar to want to take her mother.

(I think they also want to look for Tanzanite jewellery in Dar es Salaam.
We owe her a graduation present because she just finished her degree while
teaching in Uganda.)

Scott

We got Zanzibar beaches that are as good as Kenyans. Infact Zanzibar
has alot of scenary than the Kenya. Zanzibar is an island and is
surounded by beaches.

http://www.destination-connect.com or send an email to
fro more informartion on East African
Travel


Scott Elliot wrote:
"Paul Altmann" wrote in message
ups.com...
schrieb:


Are there beach locations in Tansania that can "compete" with the
Kenyan coast south of Mombasa?

I haven't been there, but my daughter took the ferry from Dar es Salaam to
Zanzibar and liked that city/island well enough to stay for a week. She is
taking my wife there when we visit in July, so she thought enough of
Zanzibar to want to take her mother.

(I think they also want to look for Tanzanite jewellery in Dar es Salaam.
We owe her a graduation present because she just finished her degree while
teaching in Uganda.)

Scott

On Sun, 11 Jun 2006 19:39:49 +0200, Paul Altmann wrote:

plan for a Tansania Safari to take place in August of 2007.

Paul,

some information on the sidelines can be found at
http://www.michna.com/kenya.htm . Some of the info refers
specifically to Kenya, but some other is more general, for
example check lists of what to take with you.

Hans-Georg

--
No mail, please.