May travel in Kenya/Tanzania
Sep 28th, 2011, 07:22 AM
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May travel in Kenya/Tanzania
I am looking at going to Kenya and Tanzania in May. I know it is considered the wet season and I am wondering is it worth going during that month? I want to spend the time out on Safari and climbing Kilimanjaro. In addition, since it is the low season how much lower should the prices be for safaris, etc.
Any comments and thoughts are muchly appreciated.
Any comments and thoughts are muchly appreciated.
Sep 28th, 2011, 12:11 PM
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www.weather2travel.com/climate-guides/tanzania
will give you an idea on rain as late in May as you
can or early June green then but dryer.
www.porini.com has great safari/kili combos
might check there eco camps get rave reviews.
Many scamsters on line always pay with CC never wire money &
insuremytrip.com
Happy Travels!
will give you an idea on rain as late in May as you
can or early June green then but dryer.
www.porini.com has great safari/kili combos
might check there eco camps get rave reviews.
Many scamsters on line always pay with CC never wire money &
insuremytrip.com
Happy Travels!
Sep 28th, 2011, 12:42 PM
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I think may should be fine, most rain falls in april normally (correct me if im wrong)
Some camps will be closed though during april and may.. Everything will look different, but amazing. Green!
. Probably willnsee less game, if you are in to birding/landscapes/trees etc notna problem, but if you really wanna see predators and stuff better go when its drier..
Some camps will be closed though during april and may.. Everything will look different, but amazing. Green!
. Probably willnsee less game, if you are in to birding/landscapes/trees etc notna problem, but if you really wanna see predators and stuff better go when its drier..
Sep 29th, 2011, 11:24 AM
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I've traveled in May and can only recall one thunderstorm which was brief... no big deal. All is green, flowers bloom, prices are at low-season. Game is plentiful, but will vary from area-to-area, but so too during other seasons. You're out in the bush, not visiting a zoo!
Until you contact a few tour operators or in-country outfitters will you know what is doable, for how long, whether driving or flying, type of accommodations.
As Nikao, yes... some camps are closed Apr and/or May, but not all and lodges are certainly open.
Start planning. Good luck!
Until you contact a few tour operators or in-country outfitters will you know what is doable, for how long, whether driving or flying, type of accommodations.
As Nikao, yes... some camps are closed Apr and/or May, but not all and lodges are certainly open.
Start planning. Good luck!
Oct 3rd, 2011, 01:10 AM
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I posted a reply to a similar question over here:http://safaritalk.net/index.php?showtopic=7477 , from which I've posted releveant text below:
http://safaritalk.net/index.php?showtopic=7477
Rain over here tends to be rather heavy when it comes! But it's not usually constant - you might get a few hours morning or afternoon (and often at night), but very rarely all day. Low season does have some serious advantages - very few people, gloriously green. And you never know how much and when will come anyway - I spent 2 weeks guide training this May and we had one light shower. The main disadvantage isn't the rain directly, but the fact that if you get lots it makes getting around in some places extremely difficult - even impossible. You need to make sure that you have a very good driver who's well prepared for whatever happpens and is comfortable heading away from the crowds - even though May is low season and visitor numbers are a fraction of the high season, if you have a driver who's scared of the mud (that's most of them...) you'll find he just follows the few people who are here in convoy. If you can afford it get yourself a good guide. Then you need to be warned that a lot of the smaller camps are closed - we always do training in May, and there's lots of renovations going on, which might limit your choices a bit.
If you manage that there are some great places to visit - the wildebeest will probably be moving from Ndutu area to the western corridor about then, so a couple of locations around there would be great, and beautifuly quiet. Forget the southern parks completely, unless you go with a mobile camp. The grass in Tarangire is long in May (makes it harder to spot lions, plus many have moved out follwing the wildebeest and zebra), and there can be some tsetse too, so most people tend to avoid it - but again it's at it's most beautiful when it's green, there are still stacks of eles there and if you like birds it's fantastic!
If I had a very large budget, my optimal trip at that time would be something like Manyara Ranch, close to Tarangire, which should be excellent, on to and Mwiba Ranch, southern Serengeti, and then over to Grumeti Reserves. Not a single NP, but excellent wildlife and complete freedom to enjoy the bush with walks and day and night drives, plus rather nice (mostly small) places to stay (you could end with a few days in Zanzibar, no problem - it's warm and wet down there...). With slightly less spare cash I'd swap Manyara Ranch for somewhere in Tarangire, Mwiba for any number of the Ndutu camps that should still be open, and Grumeti for somewhere open in the western corridor (not sure who will be in May...), but I'd definitely want a good driver and be on for 'adventures'.
Kenya will be similar, I expect - the same issues with mud and closed camps, but equally some solutions. Don't be put off - you can have a beautiful safari with all the wildlife highlights in the most stunning green scenery and very few tourists to share it with if you have a good guide.
http://safari-ecology.blogspot.com
http://safaritalk.net/index.php?showtopic=7477
Rain over here tends to be rather heavy when it comes! But it's not usually constant - you might get a few hours morning or afternoon (and often at night), but very rarely all day. Low season does have some serious advantages - very few people, gloriously green. And you never know how much and when will come anyway - I spent 2 weeks guide training this May and we had one light shower. The main disadvantage isn't the rain directly, but the fact that if you get lots it makes getting around in some places extremely difficult - even impossible. You need to make sure that you have a very good driver who's well prepared for whatever happpens and is comfortable heading away from the crowds - even though May is low season and visitor numbers are a fraction of the high season, if you have a driver who's scared of the mud (that's most of them...) you'll find he just follows the few people who are here in convoy. If you can afford it get yourself a good guide. Then you need to be warned that a lot of the smaller camps are closed - we always do training in May, and there's lots of renovations going on, which might limit your choices a bit.
If you manage that there are some great places to visit - the wildebeest will probably be moving from Ndutu area to the western corridor about then, so a couple of locations around there would be great, and beautifuly quiet. Forget the southern parks completely, unless you go with a mobile camp. The grass in Tarangire is long in May (makes it harder to spot lions, plus many have moved out follwing the wildebeest and zebra), and there can be some tsetse too, so most people tend to avoid it - but again it's at it's most beautiful when it's green, there are still stacks of eles there and if you like birds it's fantastic!
If I had a very large budget, my optimal trip at that time would be something like Manyara Ranch, close to Tarangire, which should be excellent, on to and Mwiba Ranch, southern Serengeti, and then over to Grumeti Reserves. Not a single NP, but excellent wildlife and complete freedom to enjoy the bush with walks and day and night drives, plus rather nice (mostly small) places to stay (you could end with a few days in Zanzibar, no problem - it's warm and wet down there...). With slightly less spare cash I'd swap Manyara Ranch for somewhere in Tarangire, Mwiba for any number of the Ndutu camps that should still be open, and Grumeti for somewhere open in the western corridor (not sure who will be in May...), but I'd definitely want a good driver and be on for 'adventures'.
Kenya will be similar, I expect - the same issues with mud and closed camps, but equally some solutions. Don't be put off - you can have a beautiful safari with all the wildlife highlights in the most stunning green scenery and very few tourists to share it with if you have a good guide.
http://safari-ecology.blogspot.com
Oct 3rd, 2011, 08:11 AM
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While the the seasonal camps will close in April and/or May (some only close for one - Apr, many reopen for May), the permanent tent camps are open.
Many of these seasonal camps are packing up from the southern Serengeti areas, moving to the Western Corridor or Northern Serengeti, reopening from June forward thru October.
May is good and the price is right... Do it!
Many of these seasonal camps are packing up from the southern Serengeti areas, moving to the Western Corridor or Northern Serengeti, reopening from June forward thru October.
May is good and the price is right... Do it!
Oct 12th, 2011, 10:51 AM
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Well, I was able to change my vacation so that I am in Tanzania in June now, arrive June 3 and leaving June 24.
If I decided to go to the following areas would I have that once in a life experience...
Katavi
Mahale
Selous
Ruaha
How many nights would be appropriate for each area (I have a total of 20 nights maximum)?
My concern is the cost. How open are the operators to price since the posted prices for some seem huge?
Thanks in advance.
If I decided to go to the following areas would I have that once in a life experience...
Katavi
Mahale
Selous
Ruaha
How many nights would be appropriate for each area (I have a total of 20 nights maximum)?
My concern is the cost. How open are the operators to price since the posted prices for some seem huge?
Thanks in advance.
Oct 12th, 2011, 11:09 AM
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The prices are huge, especially when heading to Katavi and Mahale. The prices are what they are... huge!
Also, even though now early June, be prepared for high-grasses as they're coming out of the 'wet' season months.
If you've never been on safari before, the experiences in the south and southwest are very different from that in the Northern Circuit parks, where you will find the migration in the Serengeti and find the 'open plains' that Africa is known for.
But, if intent on the southern areas, it'll be the flights to/from/between these parks that will really hit your pocket, as you can find accommodations at various budgets. Mahale/Katavi especially costly flights.
Still, it's your safari and if your budget can handle... go for it, but in consultation with an outfitter who can best advise into which airport you should fly (your interenational flights)... whether into DAR (southern Tanzania) or JRO* (northern Tanzania), as flight scheduled are easy enough from DAR to Selous and Ruaha, but most for Mahale/Katavi fly out of JRO/Arusha. Get this straightened out before booking your international tickets, of course, after you pick yourself up once you see the numbers.
*if doing the Kili climb, then arrival is best at JRO
Good luck!
Also, even though now early June, be prepared for high-grasses as they're coming out of the 'wet' season months.
If you've never been on safari before, the experiences in the south and southwest are very different from that in the Northern Circuit parks, where you will find the migration in the Serengeti and find the 'open plains' that Africa is known for.
But, if intent on the southern areas, it'll be the flights to/from/between these parks that will really hit your pocket, as you can find accommodations at various budgets. Mahale/Katavi especially costly flights.
Still, it's your safari and if your budget can handle... go for it, but in consultation with an outfitter who can best advise into which airport you should fly (your interenational flights)... whether into DAR (southern Tanzania) or JRO* (northern Tanzania), as flight scheduled are easy enough from DAR to Selous and Ruaha, but most for Mahale/Katavi fly out of JRO/Arusha. Get this straightened out before booking your international tickets, of course, after you pick yourself up once you see the numbers.
*if doing the Kili climb, then arrival is best at JRO
Good luck!
Oct 12th, 2011, 11:47 AM
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Thanks, yep I did get a price that was more than I thought and I was expecting it to be high and it was higher than that.
My flights are booked, flying into Nairobi so not alot of choice on that aspect. I do like the off the beaten path adventures but maybe seeing the migration/Serengeti is worth it and then head to the south. definitely would save the pocketbook a bit.
My flights are booked, flying into Nairobi so not alot of choice on that aspect. I do like the off the beaten path adventures but maybe seeing the migration/Serengeti is worth it and then head to the south. definitely would save the pocketbook a bit.
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