If You Only Have a Week

If I only had a week in Africa, I'd stay home!!!! Being from USA (you're from?), it takes the better part of two days to get to then to get back from safari. The time I can afford, it's the rigors and expense of it that gets me. But God bless ya, if you can "manage" Africa for a week, go for it!!!!

regards - tom
ps - oh, your question Your choices are good ones and whichever I'd stay the whole 6-7 days there, well, maybe change camps once to another nearby.

Try to read all the words, tom - the OP explicitly excluded travel time.

I think Tom was just doing a comparison of travel time vs. safari time in stating he'd stay home. Are that many days in a plane worth it for not that many more on the ground?

He mentions he'd stay 6-7 nights in the same place.

I would not stay home unless staying home means you can go to Africa for two weeks if you wait another 6 months or so.

If Mombo is in your budget, a week there would be great!

Here is what ClimbHighSleepLow wrote about Tanzania in Nov.

"What about June, July, November, December and January?

During June, July and November the migrating herds generally favor the more woody areas to the west.

The plains have dried up and the herds are looking for water from perennial rivers. Most of these rivers are near Seronera and surroundings and in the western corridor. The animals assemble in smaller herds and can often be found in forest areas where tsetse flies are bothersome and viewing is restricted. The western corridor has limited game routes and the hilly terrain will often obscure the true scope of the migration. A few special places such as the Grumeti Reserves, the areas near Lobo and north near the Mara River are open and with great viewing with no obstructions - timing is everything and you need a specialist to book you in the right places for optimal viewing during these months."

I'd do a mobile tented camp if I were going to Tanzania in November, probably coupled with a trip or two into the Ngorongoro Crater.

Loyaly lurking--I like that.

Grumeti Reserves in November? Personally, I wouldn't. Not that there wouldn't be game, but you might be disappointed as this area is in the Western Serengeti, which is best in May-July.

rizzuto - you read it, if I had only 6-7 days on safari, I would not go.

reagrds - tom

rizzuto - you read it, does "a week in Africa" sound like it includes travel time? To put it another way, if I had only 6-7 days on safari, I would not go.

reagrds - tom

Mike, I spent time in the Serengeti during the first two weeks of last November. I stayed at %Beyond's Grumeti and Klein's camp. I preferred Grumeti, perhaps owing to the hippo pool, the tented accommodations and the fact we caught the tail end of the migration at Seronera. The only problem was some very heavy rainfall, but luckily we mostly dodged the downpours during our game drives or they waited until we were done.

I agree that longer is better but I, for one, would go for a week in a heartbeat.

Best of luck.

We went for 5 nights on safari travelling from Australia (a much longer trip than from USA) so YES I'd go!

I've taken one week trips on lots of occasions (albeit from the UK). 7/8 nights between two lodges is a great idea.

Dear Mike

I have just read your post

For game I would definitely go for Mombo – I have just looked at space and for the first time that I can remember every night in November has at least 1 room free (often 9 !)

Sasakwa and Sabora (which is the tented one) are really really beautiful camps – if you want I can link you to video of them, and though the game is generally reasonable in their private reserve, when the migration comes back it normally stays in the “Serengeti proper” and so misses Grumeti Reserves

My first safari was 3 nights, at Londolozi, and I loved it.

I agree with those who take .003 m/sec to say that they'd go on a 7-day trip. 7 days is probably on the lower end of my preferred time length (6-10 days), so I'd want to maximize my time. Limiting camps to 2 is one thing, and spending a few days in Europe en route is another. The Europe time gets you over the jet lag (only a 1- or 2- hr time difference between western Europe and S/E Africa). Also, if you are headed to east Africa, you can take advantage of the daytime flights, such as SWISS's ZRH-NBO-DAR flight.

Thank you all for your response and suggestions.

As far as it just being a week on the ground, it really is to short and shame, but probably our only option. We spend so much time flying internationally for business that I don't think of my BA tickets as having a fare so much as just paying rent!

I'll being talking with my trusted TA today. I think we're leaning toward Tanzania because that would be new to us. But maybe the timing is ideal...any other thoughts welcome. If we learn anything interesting we;ll be sure to share.

Thanks again for your generous replies!

Mike

if you have never been to Tanzania before then i would spend a couple of nights at the Crater (preferably the Crater Lodge which is in it’s mid season) and the balance at Sasakwa. All pretty easy arrange

A TanzanianTourOperator suggesting Mombo as 1st choice! That's interesting. Even more interesting is the availability at Mombo, a place known to book up years in advance. Thanks TTO.

True - even i rate Mombo as having just about the best game anywhere in Africa ! - and i can not believe that there is space in November

The decline in requests by new safari planners is quite evident on this forum. Many travel professionals think the really heavy shoe is yet to fall. So many safaris were scheduled in better times and the a certain percentage of these safaris will make their scheduled trips. The real fall-off will show up in the last quarter of this year and next. I don't look at this as a good thing because I'm afraid the loss of photographic safari business will stimulate hunting interests in our now protected regions. We had just turned the corner in demonstrating that non hunting safaris were a better source of revenue and a renewable resource when the world economy went south. Mombo, in spite of its extraordinary game viewing, is a bit over the top. Clearly the time for excess is past, I just hope the safari business can remain intact until we are out of this mess.
Ted

If I had a single week on the ground, right now, for Africa, and no worries about budget etc. I'd spend the solid week at Serian in Mara, it's outside the Reserve, in the Koiyaki Conservancy. I'd split my time between the main camp (or Ngare Serian if you want a smaller number of fellow guests and a larger tent, though main camp tents are plenty comfortable/ beautiful) and their mobile camp in the heart of the Reserve. The tents here are small and rustic, with just enough space for two single cot beds, and a little bathroom area with a drop loo and bucket shower. Perfectly comfortable and appealing.

A fantastic mix in terms of game viewing as well.

And you get a private vehicle/ guide as standard.

In fact, Pete and I have made a pact. As soon as we earn enough from photography sales to cover the cost, we'll be booking ourselves a return trip!

(We visited in August/September last year, so just a few months ago)

Hmmm, then again, if the prices were equal (not that they are, but if they were) between Serian and Mombo, I'd have to think hard. I've been to Mombo twice and loved it and to Serian just once and loved it. Game viewing at both was excellent.

I'd say Mombo had the edge for sheer variety of viewing, though Mara is currently better for cheetah (a personal favourite).

My other favourite is eles and we've had great viewing of both in both camps.

But for some of the smaller critters and for birding, I think I'd pick Mombo.

Of course, their prices _aren't_ equivalent so on that basis, I'd pick Serian of the two, right now.

Kavey
Mombo is about 1900$ and Serian 900$ if I am correct......

SV

mike,

a couple things to consider. i work closely with wilderness safaris and i am familiar with their rate structures. since your last journey two years ago, november has now been rolled into high season. for mombo, the rack rate is $1770 per person per night (pppn) in november versus $1470 pppn low season (dec-may). the differential (by percent) is MUCH greater with classic camps as the classic camps are $600 pppn low and $900 pppn high (jun-nov).

if money is a little tight and you can only go a week in november (6 nights), then you can actually afford to go for nine nights in december for the exact same price ($600*9 = $900*6). i recommend you wait until early december. you need to time it right because the airlines go into xmas fare structures on december 6. this applies to delta and saa.

enjoy.

craig beal - owner - travel beyond

First of all, if I had only a week ..... a week is still a week!!!

Next, gameviewing is different Mombo and Serian. You just cannot compare the two!!! I've been to both - Serian will win it hands down for me!

Next important factor - Serian's rate includes a private vehicle for each booking. A huge swing in it's favour in my opinion. With a week - you can combine the Serian camp (main or ngare) with a combination of their fly camp/mobile camp location.

Let's see, $1770pppn, 2 persons, 6 nights works out to - $21,240. Not in my budget this year!!!! Hope that includes cokes, beer, wine .

regards - tom
ps - or next year, or the year after that

Hari - what was it about the wildlife which made Serian better for you than Mombo? Was it cheetah action? From what I have read Mombo offers great diversity but then so does the Mara. Certainly the private vehicle at Serian is a big plus along with the ability to stay at 2 locations but I am interested in the difference between the two locations as regards to wildlife viewing.

Hi Twaffle,

While Mombo was the place of plenty - in particular the famed wild dogs packs ....... in more recent times, apparently Lions and Hyena have taken over in large numbers. SO, just the ever changing dynamics in the wild.

Serian was very appealing to me in terms of the way they operate - flexibility, private vehicle, in tune with nature and surroundings and just the way they do things out there. The Mara (even without the main migration) delivered in plenty in terms of the game viewing - I had great viewing - Lions, Cheetah, Leopard, Black Rhino and plenty of plains game including the no-often mentioned Loita wing of the migration which was right around the camp area.

Twaffle, you might find a full trip report from Serian that I have in the reports section on ST.

Regards
Hari

Typo: Not-often

Thanks Hari, I'll go searching.
I do like the sound of everything I've heard about Serian. Hopefully it is still as good when I can get there.