LyndaS

I do see what you are saying Kavey, but when you come and visit us and you see my kitchen from the 70's (Nyamera, did someone send you a picture of my kitchen? ) you'd know with me it's just a matter of priorities!
(notice I say <i>when</i> you come &amp; visit - hint, hint!)

lbruns01

I don't think it's a rude question. There are so many &quot;deals&quot; out there I have been looking into, now I'm so confused I'm not sure I want to go anymore. If anything, any suggestions on whom to book a safari with? I want to do Kilimanjaro and a safari with the family this summer.

cybor

Yes, it does depend on who's asking.
I'll mostly worry however, if the IRS wants to know when trying to figure out how such a low incomed schmuck can afford such a trip.

Someone who may want to go - will get a real answer along with more discussion than they bargained for.

Anyone else - I'll have to check my receipts and get back to you..... in 3 mos. perhaps, if still interested.

santharamhari

Most times, nosy people dont know where i'm going or what i'm doing.....

i'll give them a general one-liner,&quot;oh, i was travelling so i didnt get to go to that function&quot;.....

Sometimes, if they hear something thru the grapevine, i'll say,&quot;Oh, that was a year ago.....&quot; or something like that. I have so many nosy relatives in my town.....so i usually dont bother with many of them and their gossip.....

Hari

afrigalah

I'll come back into this, because maybe I'm lucky not to have been confronted by obnoxiously nosey people...but like Ibruns01, I don't consider it a rude question. I can't remember one which I might have considered unwelcome. They've all seemed genuinely interested enquiries, and I've never objected...though I might have given a fairly imprecise answer a few times: such as, 'you could be looking at $xxx pppn'. Heck, where safaris are concerned, the only rude people I've encountered have been <i>on safari</i> and fortunately, they've been few and far between.

John

atravelynn

lbruns01:

Don’t give up on Africa! It is confusing but well worth the effort to sift through the info. The good thing is that there is not just one acceptable company or itinerary. There are many good options.

Below are a bunch of threads on climbing Kili. I think Kiliwarriors is Poster Eben’s company. His forum name is ClimbHighSleepLow. I had a friend that used Mountain Madness and she was happy. I have no personal experience climbing mountains. Asking about costs on the Forum is never considered rude.

http://fodors.com/forums/threadselec...p;tid=34889794


http://fodors.com/forums/threadselec...p;tid=34663042


http://fodors.com/forums/threadselec...amp;tid=650063


http://fodors.com/forums/threadselec...p;tid=34891437

http://fodors.com/forums/threadselec...p;tid=34805319

You may want to start a separate thread on Tanzania questions.

julimbo

Well it depends on how it's asked. Some people are just nozy about your financial status while others are genuinely curious. If they're being nozy then I state that I'll have to put off having a wedding until 2010 and forget about kids. That usually shuts them up because they don't know if I'm being serious or pulling their leg. If they are genuinely curious then I tell them the price but like others have said, I state that it can be a lot cheaper or expensive depending on your budget. This is the one trip where it all depends on what you WANT to spend, not HAVE to spend. I also remind them that on a weekly basis its on par with a caribbean vacation that isn't bought last minute. I was clueless to the price when I first started looking and then quickly realized that it really can be an affordable trip until all the WANTS come into play. I want a new camera, binoculars, to see gorillas, to please my brother and end up in Mombassa, etc. Oh mi, oh my.

Juliet

Favor

I don't think it's rude on the face of it. I get it quite often. I think most people are sincerly interested in going and just don't know what &quot;ballpark&quot; such a trip is in. I usually tell people what to expect and then tell them that there are many &quot;deals&quot;, seasons, and choices that can have a large impact on the final tab.

If I think the question has an edge to it or, as Kavey mentioned, there are class or pay-packet issues bound up in the question I might: be more coy, dissemble, or ramble the answer into an inert useless powder!

ulinda7

My heavens!! why all this fuss about a simple question. I have had good feedback about safari cost ,which have been a great help. why not give them all the info,Travel agent, daily cost , any other info that will be of use. people who look up these sites are not showing 'oneupmanship' or over the back fence talk. They just need some info and its would be nice to help them . Learn some Buddhism !

atravelynn

I agree with Ulinda7 that learning Buddhism is an excellent way to handle these questions, and many others as well. So much do the Buddhist lessons cost?

cybor

I look like Budda after the holiday. Worked hard at it. Does that count?

africaddict

Just how much did it cost ???!!! ;-)

Worktowander

If it is truly a *rude* inquiry - meaning the intent is to shame you for your spending choices or ascertain your net worth - I've found that picking a very exact number out of thin air, say, $9.486.17 (the cents are the kicker), usually ends the conversation. ;-D

(I've had some experience with similar questions about my European trips.)

amolkarnik

I usually just say 'One can do a safari on a shoestring but one gets what one pays for. Prices vary by country and time of the year but for a PRICELESS experience allow for anywhere between &pound;250-400 pppn + flights'.

The genuinely interested ones who can afford it ask more questions. Others dont. I am not one for feeling guilty for what I can afford.

napamatt

I like to quote the Mombo rack rate, then add &quot;thats per person&quot;.