African Safari
 

I'm currently looking at many brochures for an Afrian Safari Holiday in June 08. What i would like to do is the Serenget National Park, Victoria Falls, Gorillas in Rwanda. Many of the brochures offer tented trips which i believe you set up for yourselves. I would like an adventure trip but with the comfort of a lodge or hotel in the evenings, does anyone know of a company to offer this within a reasonable price range.

Hi Joyling,
I will tell you that the Camping Safari is far more expensive than a lodging or a hotel safari. I and my husband have used one tour Company in Uganda called Volvo Safaris and Travel in Feb - March this Year visiting Tanzania - Serengeti, Ngorongoro, Lake Manyara and the Gorillas in Uganda and Rwanda although we did not visit the Victoria Falls. Peter was our driver / guide through the safari and was very friendly and understanding, we really enjoyed his company. Atleast I compared several tour company prices but theirs was more reasonable and friendly.

The tented trips <b>you set up</b> yourself would be less expensive than a lodge. But the luxury, permanent tented camps would likely be more than the average lodge.

Your 3 destinations mean a good deal of time will be spent in transit because you have 3 different countries.

What do you consider a reasonable price range? Are you looking at longer overland trips that include these destinations along with many others? Or were you thinking of flying to each of these 3 places?

I know Africa Adventure in FL does all 3 countries.
http://www.africa-adventure.com/

I think A&amp;K does too, but they are usually very expensive.

I thought Go2Africa in South Africa might offer services to all 3 places, but did not see Rwanda in their lisitng.

You could also mix and match safari providers that focus on different regions.

Thanks for the input and suggestions, i will look at the web sites for these companys, i was thinking that $A4,500/5,000 for a 15/16 day trip would be reasonable?????? that would not include airfares from Australia and probably not internal fares back to Johannesburg which is where we would be flying into.

Hi Joyling,

I work on about $300 AUD per day which should be an OK budget for 16 days excluding airfares. Of course, if our dollar dives things could look different. Sorry, I don't know of any Australian companies that do all of these destinations.

This will usually fund a private safari for 2 in Kenya-Northern Tanzania staying at medium range lodges booked through an in-country operator. You could cut costs by mixing camping, (putting up your own tents) with fewer nights in lodges. I've not been to Rwanda, however, if you are going gorilla trekking this may account for a significant chunk of your budget.

You could get a quote from Good Earth Tours, Sunny or Roys in Arusha (or any of the other safari companies who receive consistent positive comments on this board) for the Tanzania portion of your safari and I know that the Victoria Falls Hotel has a very good special that you can book direct or through one of the big Australian agents - Adventure World I think, although you may not be thinking of this style of accommodation or even entering Zimbabwe so soon after the March elections. I've heard that Fawlty Towers in Livingstone is good budget accommodation in Zambia and I can recommend the Lost Horizon Lodge, although this is quite a way out of town.

I've found the Australian agents to be expensive when compared to in-country operators and for my 2008 safari I am booking everything with in-country operators or their agents.

Greetings from Hobart,

Pol.

Joyling,

for clarification that is $300AUD per person per day and I've just checked my Northern Circuit itinerary and see that the daily rate is for $360 pppd for June 2008.

Given the increases generally and in national park fees in particular I may have to lift my daily budget to closer to $350 per day.

Cheers

Pol.

Hey Treepol, thanks for the input, will look at the in-country web sites you mentioned. Also looking at Tassie for January 08, what do you suggest for an itinery........ we met a great couple June 07 on our China trip they are in Hobart, so that will be a must. Where else? Joyling

Does anyone know if Roys, Sunny's, or Good Earth have a partner for Rwanda? I don't think these companines work directly in Rwanda.

Joyling,

that all depends on what you are interested in!

The big sights are Cradle Mtn, Strahan for wilderness and rainforest, Coles Bay for the Hazards and spectacular scenery, Port Arthur for convict history.

As a local, I often take interstate visitors down to Dover via Police Point for amazing coastal scenery and I also think the far northwest around Stanley is under-rated. Similarly with the far north-east around Bridport.

Where are you - drop me your email or phone if you would like to talk more.

Lynn, I was suggesting the Arusha operators for the Tanzania portion only - I'm fairly sure they don't operate in Rwanda but I did see a link to Uganda safaris on their website recently.


Cheers,

Pol