Could you help? A few questions on Tanzania
 

Okay- we've decided to take a trip to Tanzania...this coming Saturday! We're sorted for vaccinations etc and have booked a safari with "Predator" through "2Afrika"....has anyone used these guys- or have you heard anything about them?? The itinerary and accomodations they've sorted look great, but their name never comes up in any of the travel guides I'm reading, which makes me a tiny bit uneasy.

Also: other than the standard vaccinations/camera/clothing/blah blah- do you have any other tips/advice you could share?? Again, it's not really a "rough" trip (staying in catered, four-star accomodations...) but what did you find invaluable- or miss when you were there??

Thank you so much for any tips you could share...
B

You're not likely to find these companies in guidebooks. But if you do a "search" on this board you will find many threads about 2Afrika and Predator. Use those threads for any information you may need.

Otherwise, it looks like you're set... just don't forget your malaria meds.

Hi there....

Yes, I've used 2Afrika successfully in 2003.

If you are staying at the Sopa Lodges (Serengiti & Ngorogoro Crater, they are both just fine (incredibly big rooms!).

Have a great time.

Take some sweets to share with your driver and guide - the smiles when you offer them are wonderful.

A good pair of binoculars each if possible - it's hard not to be selfish with them when there are so many things to look at. Also take time to look at and ask about the birds as well as the animals; you'll find you will get even more out of the game drives because there are always birds around even when the animals may be a little scarce.

Things I missed - lip balm and hand cream. Your skin can get very very dry when you are driving around in the sun and wind in open jeeps. We were Ok for the lip balm but I wished I had a small tube of unscented hand cream with me as well.

I agree with unscented hand and/or body creme, I would also add to that unscented deodorant. In addition, I would suggest you avoid perfume or scented aftershave lotions.

While RuthieC refers to the sun and wind one encounters using open vehicles, since you will be doing a Northern Circuit tour of Tanzania, it is unlikely your vehicles will be open. Rather they will be pop-top or flip-top vehicles. Though it's always a good idea to have lip-balm with you.

Thanks for the great advice- yep, all set on the malaria meds as well. Quick question? So does "pop/flip top" esstially mean that the tops of the jeep will come off completely?? Might opt for SPF 50, if that's the case!

Thanks again,
B

If you go to www3.sympatico.ca/thaynes (our webpage) and look on the left you will find a link to our Tanzania photos from our trip last year.

One of the pictures towards the end is of our group standing in front of the pop-top van - there are 3 rows of seats in the "back" area under the pop top that occupants can stand up directly from. The roof does not offer complete sun protection but it is pretty good for shade - we did use sunscreen, but found that hats were pretty good at keeping any stray sun off faces (and helped cut down on glare too).

Sorry I hadnt answered your post before (some previous posts should show up if you do a search on 2afrika). We actually took our trip with Predators (through 2afrika) and it was great, and this also means that the van in the picture may even be the actual van (and the actual guide) you get :-)

Have a great adventure!

Do be sure you have warm clothing for the mornings and nights. This is winter and the nights can be quite cold. Not knowing what kind of accommodations, but if any are tents, use the extra blankets provided, and don't be surprised to find a hot water bottle in your bed.

Also because you're located on the Equator the days are short (considering that those of us in the Northern Hemisphere have the longer days). The sun rises and sets at 6:30am and 6:30pm, respectively. And as the sun starts setting in the afternoon it even gets chilly even in the vehicle, so have a jacket or sweatshirt.