Trip Report---Tanzania
Jul 12th, 2008, 02:41 PM
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Trip Report---Tanzania
Back from another terrific trip to Africa--this time Tanzania. I will post link to pics sooner than later but here's the summary.
Used ATR to book accomodations at Katavi (Chada); Selous (Impala) and Mahale to see the Chimps. Stayed at Coffee Lodge in between lodges. Overal, as compared to the other operators that I saw on the ground in Tanzania as well as the personalization and service, I would rate ATR a B minus. Eager to take your money and responsive with email but no on the ground connections and some airline goofs indicate I could have done better.
KLM from LAX to Kili was great (yes you read write). KLM is a consistent non glamerous product but service overal was great.
Coffee Lodge---Arusha Coffee Lodge is great, rooms are huge with fireplace and location to Arusha airport out of the busy City was a real treat.
Chada Katavi---Remote; a 3 hour plane ride with a stop from Arusha but worth the trouble! Management of Camp was phenomenal--they make you feel at home the second you land. Tents were semi-luxurious with the only reminder of where you are the bucket showers. Nomad is very conscious of the carbon footprint and big on conservation. The hippos were everywhere; great lions, buffalo and incredible and different terrain. Sounds at night ranged from the hippos to the lions and this was a first class run camp.
Next was Mahale. What can one say? Think luxury. Robinson Caruso adventure. The Chimps, the main attraction, were actually kind of a letdown for me. I felt we were too organized, too timed and too intrusive. The other camps followed our radio calls and impasses in the mountains created tension. The Chimps themselves were comfortable with us and amazing. But for me the real beauty was the hikes, the fishing on the coast, the beauty of the place and the sense of adventure. Again, really really well managed and since most of the group can from Katavi we had a blast.
Back to Arusha and onite at Coffee Lodge and then off to Selous Impala. Why ATR didnt directly transfer me to Selous from Mahale was a mystery since there was a charter flight.
Selous is awesome. The elephants in the river, the birds, the hippos, the lions, the wild dogs, yes wild dogs were PHENOMENAL. Guides were superb. Boat safaris for birds, elephants and fishing spectacular. This place gets it. The scene is not super luxury (Sands River does that with private butlers) but the feel (escorted to your room at night by massai warriors with swords) and the sounds of the wild on the river and the elpehants outside your tent were priceless.
My third trip. Im sold on Tanzania. Arusha and Dar are half day tours and out for me. The real beauty is getting out and meeting the people and getting out to remote places. This is indeed a special place.
I used a Nikon D300 with 200-500 lens and got some great pics. Ill post a link soon.
Used ATR to book accomodations at Katavi (Chada); Selous (Impala) and Mahale to see the Chimps. Stayed at Coffee Lodge in between lodges. Overal, as compared to the other operators that I saw on the ground in Tanzania as well as the personalization and service, I would rate ATR a B minus. Eager to take your money and responsive with email but no on the ground connections and some airline goofs indicate I could have done better.
KLM from LAX to Kili was great (yes you read write). KLM is a consistent non glamerous product but service overal was great.
Coffee Lodge---Arusha Coffee Lodge is great, rooms are huge with fireplace and location to Arusha airport out of the busy City was a real treat.
Chada Katavi---Remote; a 3 hour plane ride with a stop from Arusha but worth the trouble! Management of Camp was phenomenal--they make you feel at home the second you land. Tents were semi-luxurious with the only reminder of where you are the bucket showers. Nomad is very conscious of the carbon footprint and big on conservation. The hippos were everywhere; great lions, buffalo and incredible and different terrain. Sounds at night ranged from the hippos to the lions and this was a first class run camp.
Next was Mahale. What can one say? Think luxury. Robinson Caruso adventure. The Chimps, the main attraction, were actually kind of a letdown for me. I felt we were too organized, too timed and too intrusive. The other camps followed our radio calls and impasses in the mountains created tension. The Chimps themselves were comfortable with us and amazing. But for me the real beauty was the hikes, the fishing on the coast, the beauty of the place and the sense of adventure. Again, really really well managed and since most of the group can from Katavi we had a blast.
Back to Arusha and onite at Coffee Lodge and then off to Selous Impala. Why ATR didnt directly transfer me to Selous from Mahale was a mystery since there was a charter flight.
Selous is awesome. The elephants in the river, the birds, the hippos, the lions, the wild dogs, yes wild dogs were PHENOMENAL. Guides were superb. Boat safaris for birds, elephants and fishing spectacular. This place gets it. The scene is not super luxury (Sands River does that with private butlers) but the feel (escorted to your room at night by massai warriors with swords) and the sounds of the wild on the river and the elpehants outside your tent were priceless.
My third trip. Im sold on Tanzania. Arusha and Dar are half day tours and out for me. The real beauty is getting out and meeting the people and getting out to remote places. This is indeed a special place.
I used a Nikon D300 with 200-500 lens and got some great pics. Ill post a link soon.
Jul 12th, 2008, 03:01 PM
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Thanks for your candid comments. You make me want to head to Southern Tanzania! Looking forward to your photos.
Was this a solo trip? Did you use scheduled charters? I know you mentioned one charter you would have liked to be on.
Glad you had a great trip.
Was this a solo trip? Did you use scheduled charters? I know you mentioned one charter you would have liked to be on.
Glad you had a great trip.
Jul 13th, 2008, 08:07 AM
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This is great stuff, can't wait to see the photos and was glad to read about Chada Katavi.
I'd like to hear more about how the groups worked for the chimp viewing. When I went in February there was only our two groups from Greystoke but it sounds like on this trip you had to coordinate with Flycatchers and Nkungwe too. In February Flycatchers in closed and perhaps Nkungwe was too as we had no hassles at all.
I believe Nomad runs a charter twice a week between Selous and Katavi/Mahale so your operator probably could have taken advantage of that.
Thanks for the good information.
I'd like to hear more about how the groups worked for the chimp viewing. When I went in February there was only our two groups from Greystoke but it sounds like on this trip you had to coordinate with Flycatchers and Nkungwe too. In February Flycatchers in closed and perhaps Nkungwe was too as we had no hassles at all.
I believe Nomad runs a charter twice a week between Selous and Katavi/Mahale so your operator probably could have taken advantage of that.
Thanks for the good information.
Jul 13th, 2008, 11:26 AM
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Pics are being uploaded..really....Yes I travelled solo but was never alone. Chada and Mahale are sister camps and the group typically goes from one camp to the other.
Here's the scoop with the chimps. They were WAY up the mountains due to the lack of food down below. Incredibly some guests thought it was like a petting zoo where you just walk up to the chimps and there they are! Mahale has three trackers while the other camps had one at best and they were known for listening to the Mahale radio frequency. So we climb the mountain for two hours only to find a group from another camp following us, then wanting to pass, then waiting and the guides not quite friendly with each other. Then the chimps are found and one group wants to go, and then the other group wants only a 30 minute viewing and then the next group and then another 30 minutes etc. Stress in Africa? At Mahale? And then there was a "researcher" from Japan who literally violated all spacing rules and disrupted the Chimps and the experience. Running back and forth screaming and getting within inches of the chimps. I had seen enough of the chimps and just didnt want to deal with the politics of chimp viewing. There were two groups of six at the start and by day four it was dwindled one group of 4. They reported incredible sightings btw.
Still loved the place....
Here's the scoop with the chimps. They were WAY up the mountains due to the lack of food down below. Incredibly some guests thought it was like a petting zoo where you just walk up to the chimps and there they are! Mahale has three trackers while the other camps had one at best and they were known for listening to the Mahale radio frequency. So we climb the mountain for two hours only to find a group from another camp following us, then wanting to pass, then waiting and the guides not quite friendly with each other. Then the chimps are found and one group wants to go, and then the other group wants only a 30 minute viewing and then the next group and then another 30 minutes etc. Stress in Africa? At Mahale? And then there was a "researcher" from Japan who literally violated all spacing rules and disrupted the Chimps and the experience. Running back and forth screaming and getting within inches of the chimps. I had seen enough of the chimps and just didnt want to deal with the politics of chimp viewing. There were two groups of six at the start and by day four it was dwindled one group of 4. They reported incredible sightings btw.
Still loved the place....
Jul 13th, 2008, 07:12 PM
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Here's a link to the photos, best viewed in slideshow mode. Some will be better after Photoshop but gives you a flavor of the trip. Enjoy!
http://share.shutterfly.com/action/w...=0McuWzVw0YsLQ
http://share.shutterfly.com/action/w...=0McuWzVw0YsLQ
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