Our first safari! How exciting, but we need help. We are in the EARLY planning stages so any suggesionts will be gratefull. We are two friends staring at retirement and decided it is now or never. We are thinking of going to Tanzania and Kenya perhaps May 2012, for about 16-18 days and we are on a budget. From what I have read here about $300. ppn is fine. Any comments, suggestions?
Planning first safari..suggestions?
Recent Activity
View all Africa & the Middle East activity »
- 1 Best Budget Tour Operator
- 2 phone service
- 3 How to find if safari company is legit ?
- 4 How to choose tour group for Egypt
- 5 Living in Morocco.
- 6 RSA: Tswalu vs Mashatu vs Phinda
- 7
Our best trip ever - in Morocco
- 8 Tanzania in 2014
- 9 Difference between Air Botswana and South African Air
- 10
Morocco . . . Rough Around the Edges
- 11
Mozambique 1 - 13 June 2013.
- 12 Yellow Fevor innoculation revisited
- 13 Questions re Gorillas in Rwanda and money in both Rwanda and Tanzania
- 14 6 nights in Morocco - how long to spend in marrakech and fes each?
- 15 Driving Aswan to Luxor
- 16 Help! First trip to Africa and overwhelmed!!
- 17
TRIP REPORT: Northern Tanzania with a Birding Twist 2/13
- 18 Cross Egypt Challenge and 4 extra days
- 19 Makoa-Farm Tanzania
- 20 Africa Safari
- 21 Morocco Tour Operators: Morocco Expert Tours
- 22 Wildebeest Mara river crossing started?
- 23 3 Different Ports in Oman: Salalah, Sur and then Khasab
- 24 2 weeks in South Africa with teens
- 25 Budget Safari options in Botswana?
Have you picked up Fodors Complete Safari Planner?
That's where I started and then bombarded this forum with questions!
The Fodors books are the best place to start.
And, Thom Hogan who leads wildlife photo safaris world wide sums up nicely the African safari choices here (note - his emphasis is on photography) -
http://www.bythom.com/botswanaworkshop2.htm
regards - tom
www.kenya.com/great_migration_overview.asp
travelzoo.com great sales with friendlyplanet.com
www.porini.com eco-camps great value
Happy Planning!
May is "low" season in both countries; end of the "long" rains period, but that doesn't mean it will or daily... if any a brief thunderstorm or overnight shower.
Best is that prices are also lowest.
Time to start your research.
No better way to kick off your retirement than an African safari!
If you'd like to see the migration of wildebeests and zebras, then you'd want to be near the western Serengeti, TZ in May.
Since you mentioned Kenya and Tanzania, here are a couple of itineraries with the company that I used for my 1st African safari to Kenya and Tanzania.
This itinerary would put you in a good spot in the Serengeti
http://www.africaadventure.com/safari/16_day_explorer_safari_to_kenya_and_tanzania
Choosing Sopa in the Serengeti from the lodging options listed would put you in a good spot and the Maasai Mara accommodations are nice because they are tented camps
http://www.africaadventure.com/safari/14_day_galloping_gnus_safari_to_kenya_and_tanzania
If nothing else, these offer a good starting point in building a Tanzania/Kenya itinerary.
You might also want to contact a Kenya or Tanzania based company. I've used Eastern and Southern Safaris in Nairobi a couple of times. For the Tanzania portion, they have a partner in that country so everything is seamless for you. E&S does private trips for just the 2 of you.
My testimonial is the 11th one from Wisconsin
http://www.essafari.co.ke/testimonials.php
For Tanzania based companies, visitors have had good results with Roys and Good Earth. Good Earth does trips with a minimum of 2, but more participants on the departure decreases the cost. Roys generally does private trips and private TZ trips will likely come in at more than $300 per person per day.
http://www.goodearthtours.com/
I've talked with both Roys and Good Earth and would be comfortable traveling with either.
Since you are just beginning your research, you may not have thought about including the gorillas. Though it is an expensive option, it is very worthwhile. In May, a Tanzania and Rwanda trip would be ideal.
To help you narrow your choices, are there any animals of particular interest to you? Is seeing the wildebeest migration important to you? Are you more interested in concentrating on maximizing sightings in a couple of parks with highest density of animals or are you more interested in seeing a variety of terrain and habitats? Do you want to commit about 4 days to tracking the mountain gorillas, knowing permits are about $500. There are many excellent travel companies to choose from that can offer an itinerary for whatever your interests.