Dr_Andrea

Should I do Bateleur Camo in Kenya or Ngorongoro Crater in Tanzania. I will be combining it with Rwanda and Mnemba. I need to give the travel agent a decision tomorrow. Are they equal in luxury? What about the game viewing? This is for January. THANKS A MILLION!! You guys are the best!

Dr_Andrea

Oh....we have been on safari before (Royal Malewane in South Africa) and tiger safari in India (Oberoi Rathambore). Not sure if that makes a difference in your suggestions....

Dana_M

I loved Kichwa Tembo Bateleur Camp. If you go there, if Milka is still managing, tell her Dana (the girl from the states who was the only guest a couple of years ago) says hello. I preferred the Mara over the Crater, but I was there during the summer,not January. What are your proposed accomodations in the Crater, and how many nights do you have? You can easily spend several nights (or more) in the Mara, but in my experience a couple of nights in the Crater is enough.

sandi

As I recall from your other thread (you really should keep everything about this trip together so everyone can keep track), you have 3/nts scheduled for Bateleur. It's rare that anyone spends 3/nts at the Crater, even if you can get space at the Crater Lodge. Personally, I'd take the Mara, even if not migration time over the crater.

Besides, it's a rather strange routing from Kigali to Ngorongoro. You either have to go via NBO, then to JRO, then flight to Manyara for a road transfer to/from Ngorongoro OR flight from KGL on Coastal via a few stops in the Serengeti to wherever the closest stop is to Ngorongoro and a road transfer. And this Coastal flight has a stiff price of $600/person o/w.

Dr_Andrea

Here is what it would look like?

4 JAN - NAIROBI
5+6+7+8 JAN - VIRUNGA LODGE
9 JAN - KIGALI INTERCONTINENTAL
10 JAN - 06H00 flight from Kigali arriving Manyara at 11h50
10+11+12 JAN - NGORONGORO CRATER LODGE
13 JAN - 11H50 flight from Manyara arriving Zanzibar at 13h45
13+14+15 JAN - MNEMBA ISLAND LODGE

sandi

Can you adopt me!

It's a smooth transition and early enough flight to ZNZ to get to Mnemba, but 3/days at Ngorongoro, even the Crater Lodge, seems a bit much. Three-days into/out of the Crater? Even if only two, the other would be R&R, which you'll have on Mnemba.

I'd still opt for the Mara.

Dr_Andrea

HAHA!! Are others in agreement?

atravelynn

I'd still opt for the Mara too. If the Crater Lodge is somewhere you'd like to stay, do 2 nights there on a future Tanzania trip. There are other luxury Tanzania properties that would combine well with Crater Lodge for a splendid trip some other time.

Patty

If the cost of the Coastal flight isn't an issue and you're able to go straight to Mnemba from Tanzania, then how about spending those days in the Serengeti?

Marija

Another options is to go from the Manyara air strip to Lake Manyara Tree Lodge, spend the night there and then continue by road to the Crater Lodge for two nights. (You'd be going by road from the Manyara airstrip to the Crater anyway.) Both the Crater Lodge and Lake Manyara Tree Lodge are more "luxurious" than Bataleur, if that's what you're looking for. We enjoyed all three.

Dr_Andrea

Phew....I am glad about the consensus (for the most part). We just told agent to book Bateleur in Kenya instead of the Crater. Hopefully, we made the right decision. I think this leaves us with a day in Stonetown because we arrive too late to get to Mnemba (unless we take a $1000+ private charter which we don't want to do). Can you guys think of any other alternatives? Also, they have us doing Rwanda for five nights. I want to do two treks and visit the genocide museum...do you think it can be done in four instead? I will take that extra day and spend it in Mnemba instead. This planning is exhausting!!!!

Dr_Andrea

So here is the itinerary I think:

4 JAN - NAIROBI-House of Waine
5+6+7 JAN - VIRUNGA LODGE
8 JAN - KIGALI INTERCONTINENTAL
9+10+11 JAN - BATELEUR CAMP AT KICHWA TEMBO
12 JAN - ZANZIBAR SERENA INN
13+14+15 JAN - MNEMBA ISLAND

sandi

>>So here is the itinerary I think:

4 JAN - NAIROBI-House of Waine
5+6+7 JAN - VIRUNGA LODGE
8 JAN - KIGALI INTERCONTINENTAL
9+10+11 JAN - BATELEUR CAMP AT KICHWA TEMBO
12 JAN - ZANZIBAR SERENA INN
13+14+15 JAN - MNEMBA ISLAND <<

On 5th Jan, you head out to PNV in the afternoon for o/n. Next morning 6th Jan, you have a trek and o/n. Since you want a 2nd trek, it's done on 7th Jan. and depending on when you're finished they usually head back to KGL, where you have time to visit the genocide museum and other sightseing, so you can make the last flight to NBO for o/n (7th Jan) and commence safari to the Masai Mara next morning 8th Jan.

The itinerary can be done in one-less day; it's up to you.

Dr_Andrea

Thanks...do you think it is too crazy or feasible?

atravelynn

Is there an evening flight from Kigali to Nairobi? I have not found it. That would be good if there was one and I know there used to be one about 7 pm. Let me know where to look for that evening flight if it still exits.

Even if that eve flight is not there, you could make use of the early morning one that leaves Kigali at 6:45 am and arrives Nairobi at 9:05 am. That is enough time to catch one of the flights to the Mara that day.

Then you could do

4 JAN - NAIROBI-House of Waine
5 JAN - Fly to Kigali, drive to VIRUNGA LODGE
6 JAN - 1st gorilla trek
7 JAN - second gorilla trek, then leave for Kigali and visit Memorial that closes at 5 pm I think. KIGALI INTERCONTINENTAL
8 JAN - Early flight to Nairobi and on to the Maasai Mara BATELEUR CAMP
9+10 JAN - BATELEUR CAMP AT KICHWA TEMBO
11 JAN - ZANZIBAR SERENA INN
12+13+14+15 JAN - MNEMBA ISLAND

Don't know where Stone Town fits, but you probably do.

sandi

If arriving from KGL/JKIA at 9am, (there's a 1/hr time difference between Rwanda/Kenya) no way you can clear Immigration, collect bags and get to Wilson in time for the 10am flight to the Mara. Next flight would be 3pm.

I don't have the flight schedule KGL/JKIA, but if 6:45pm, you can still get in touring in KGL before departing. Probably arriving around 9pm JKIA for o/n in NBO. With this last flight you can definitely get on that 10am flight to the Mara.

Lynn, the ZNZ Serena is in Stone Town, but with late arrival (about 5pm), there isn't much to do other than maybe a quick walk around nearby and dinner.

Patty

The latest KGL-NBO flight on Jan 7 departs at 1:50pm so it wouldn't be possible to overnight in Nairobi on the 7th. However, instead of overnighting at the Virungas lodge, you could drive back to Kigali after your trek that day and possibly have time to visit the memorial that same afternoon. Perhaps you could request a trek to a close group that morning so that you're done earlier.

On Jan 8th, the earliest KGL-NBO flight departs at 10:45am arriving NBO at 1:10pm. That one <i>should</i> give you enough time to make a 3:00pm connection to the Mara from Wilson airport but doesn't leave a lot of wiggle room in case of delays. Also keep in mind that booking far in advance means there could be future flight schedule changes that may disrupt your carefully planned itinerary. I think your agent is trying to be conservative.

atravelynn

Another permutation to accommodate the flights and not cut things too close.

4 JAN - NAIROBI-House of Waine
5 JAN - Fly to Kigali, visit Memorial, drive to VIRUNGA LODGE
6 JAN - 1st gorilla trek
7 JAN - second gorilla trek

<font color="green">8 JAN - Go see the Golden Monkeys. I loved these characters. Instead, you could hike to Dian Fossey's grave. Or you could even do another gorilla visit. 3 is not too many. I didn't think so. Or ask Divewop. Drive back to Kigali and stay at INTERCONTINENTAL</font>

9+10+11 JAN - BATELEUR CAMP AT KICHWA TEMBO
12 JAN - ZANZIBAR SERENA INN
13+14+15 JAN - MNEMBA ISLAND