Patty

I should add that if you book a "flying package" directly through the lodge or camp or see one listed on their website, that rate will be inclusive of air, full board accomodations and game drives. Sometimes park fees are listed separately on lodge/camp websites, so you may need to add those.

kerikeri

thanks kimburu and patty.
that's a relief i was starting to get paranoid about the tour operators. i hope to awake to a slew of responses!

kerikeri

dlo

Sorry not jlo's sister.The wife would never have married me if i was.The best guidebooks for Kenya and Tanzania are Bradt and Rough Guides.Roughguides give great budget info and Bradt was great for wildlife.I can't remember what our flights for Lamu cost but it was not a lot.Check out some of the travel blogs on Lamu or read Nyamera or my trip reports for more info on Lamu.I also spent some time in Watamu and a little in Mombasa as well as Zanzibar and i would pick Lamu over all of them.

kerikeri

thanks, dlo. i was considering watamu as my alternative based on the "no hassle on the beach" factor and that i want to snorkel at kisite and that seems reachable by land from there.

i greatly appreciate all of the advice and will look into it again.

and i finally heard back from a very lovely person at e-gnu, so i feel i'm in an expert's hands over there as well as here.
thank you all again!
kerikeri