botidy

I am going to be traveling alone to Kenya or Tanzania, or possibly both! Still haven't decided....I was wondering if any of you out there could give me your expert advice on how to go about this. Should I book directly with lodges/camps or go through a safari company/agency? Can anyone recommend an agency that is good for solo travelers? Thanks in advance for your help

atravelynn

This may be of interest to you. But I have a feeling you may be one in the same.

http://fodors.com/forums/threadselec...p;tid=35007783

The Africa forum is where you'll get the most advice.

richardfh

I have taken two trips in the last year alone to Africa and had a great time...

My first trip was to Kenya and Rwanda with a group organized by Gamewatchers Safaris. It was well organized, and I traveled with a great group of people.

My second trip was also on my own, and thanks to a lot of advice and trip reports posted on the Africa board, I planned my trip through my agent directly with the tour operators - Kwando and Sanctuary. For the most part I stayed at smaller camps, and you never felt alone as you spent time sharing game drives with others (though I had a private vehicle for half my trip), as well as meals. At all my locations but one, all meals were served at a long table for everyone together. You never had to sit alone, or just with your guide. It was a great way to travel, and I met a lot of interesting people.

I highly recommend going to Africa... it truly is a great place to go, whether you are with a group, or on your own. If its Kenya / Tanzania you want, check out Gamewatchers at www.porini.com.

Richard

Jess215

If you go it alone, post on the Africa forum; there are very knoweledgeable (it seems) people there.
I am going by myself, but have booked a tour with Micato, despite the single supplement. Since it is my first time in Africa, I don't want to waste time and money making things work. After the usual research, Micato was my choice, but there are many others which are excellent, and many are less expensive.
Jess

noblerace

Richard,

I am very interested in your statement about "a private vehicle for half my trip". Could you elaborate? Did you have a driver? What was your route? How were the roads? Ive driven all over the world and would sure like to know about a possible Tanzania road trip.

Thanks so much,
Lisa

SandyD1

Hi botidy,
I am a 30-something female, and I travelled to Kenya and Tanzania (as well as around-the-world) on my own. I did join a group for a safari (www.dragoman.com). It was a nice mix of solo and small group travelers from all over. It is a real camping safari, and an incredible price. I took a 21 day Zanzibar/Tanzania/Kenya trip, and wouldn't change it for the world. We had two guides and a Kenya cook (fantastic) who traveled with us. I felt we got great game drives and more exposure to "local" experiences. I must admit, I felt that I had a number of experience travelling with this group that I might have missed had I done it completely alone. It is worth a look. Have a great time!