Dearest travelers, U.S. couple in their mid-50's, first trip to Africa being planned. Several questions, first of which is: Is July a good month to travel to Kenya/Tanzania? Second, we have saved and saved for this as Africa is one of the "life list" places we want to go and we are thinking of Kensington Tours. This is a private tour (I know, snobby us but that is not true!) and it is expensive for a 10 day combo country trip. So, we are so very open to suggestions and comments. We are eager to hear anything and we have read most of the travel site blogs and talk spots. Now we want to personalize this communication line. Thank you so much in advance for your insight. My quiet camera is ready for a once-in-a-lifetime shoot.

Regards to all,

Tim

Nothing wrong with private. Most here do private itineraries.

The only thing I don't like about the 10/day tour is that whether you drive from Mara to Serengeti or Ngorongoro to Amboseli... both will be very long days. And, yes, they do indicate flights, but they do cost and still take a good part of the day. By the time you arrive from Ngorongoro to Amboseli (dusk) and then departing Amboseli next day (probably afternoon) you don't have more than a morning game drive in the park. Leaving early morning and not arriving at next destination till dusk or dark.

As it's a bit late to be booking July, especially in Tanzania, the benefit of Kensington is that they have their own camps so they have space for their itineraries.

However, you might do better having a custom itinerary created that avoids these long drives with maybe a flight or two. Emphasis on the areas best in July.

There are any number of tour operators or in-country outfitters who can do this for you and probably at the same price.

July is a good month, especially the early part, where being in the Western Serengeti is ideal and deserves at minimum 3/nts-2/days. The migrating herds pass this way on their way north to the Masai Mara in Kenya. The herds usually don't arrive in the Mara until later in July/early August. That's not to say the Mara is void of game, just that the Serengeti might be better.

Honestly, 10/days is really pushing it to do both countries; stays at most of the stops is just too short i.e., Serengeti or Masai Mara besides those long drives where you could be game viewing instead.

I'd suggest:
Day 1 - Arrive Kilimanjaro (JRO) Tanzania - o/n
Day 2 - Drive to Tarangire (elephants) - o/n
Day 3 - Tarangire - o/n
Day 4 - Drive to Ngorongoro; afternoon crater tour - o/n
Day 5 - Drive to Central/Western Serengeti - o/n
Days 6 & 7 - Serengeti - o/n
Day 8 - Fly via Arusha via NBO to Masai Mara - o/n
Day 9 & 10 - Masai Mara - o/n
Day 11 - Fly to NBO; for homebound

You can purchase an open jaw ticket, flying into JRO/out of NBO - KLM flies in/out of both. Or if you fly into/out of NBO, you can do the itinerary in reverse.

The short-haul flights between NBO/JRO are easily booked; only 50/min.

July is very good. Check out this link that shows what parks are best in what month for wildlife:

http://www.africa-adventure.com/dsp_besttime.html

Nothing snobby about a private trip. Snobby is booking a group trip and making continuous personal demands of the driver and not talking to the other participants.

Is this the itinerary?

Day City Lodge Meals Air Features
Day 1 Nairobi Safari Club B Nairobi: Airport xfer : Kensington Cares Nairobi: Flying Doctors

Day 2 Naivasha Sopa B,L,D : 4x4 & Private Guide Nakuru: Game viewing Naivasha: Optional activities

Day 3 Masai Mara Kensington Camps B,L,D : 4x4 & Private Guide Masai Mara: Game viewing Masai Mara: Optional activities Masai Mara: Local village

Day 4 Masai Mara Kensington Camps B,L,D : 4x4 & Private Guide Masai Mara: Game viewing

Day 5 Serengeti Kensington Camps B,L,D : 4x4 & Private Guide Masai Mara: Serengeti drive (8hr) Serengeti: Game viewing

Day 6 Serengeti Kensington Camps B,L,D : 4x4 & Private Guide Serengeti: Game viewing

Day 7 Ngorongoro Kensington Camps B,L,D : 4x4 & Private Guide Serengeti: Olduvlai Gorge (5hr game drive) Ngorongoro: Crater Tour Ngorongoro: Game viewing

Day 8 Ngorongoro Kensington Camps B,L,D : 4x4 & Private Guide Ngorongoro: Crater Tour Ngorongoro: Game viewing

Day 9 Amboseli Serena B,L,D : 4x4 & Private Guide Arusha: Deluxe Lunch Amboseli: Game viewing

Day 10 Nairobi Depart B : 4x4 & Private Guide Nairobi: Souvenir shopping Nairobi: Farewell dinner


I wonder if that Day 5 drive really is 8 hours or maybe more.

Kensington's itinerary is good if you really want to get to both Kenya and Tanzania in 10 days and see highlights in each place.

If your goal is to maximize wildlife viewing and reduce travel time, then Sandi's is better. If you could add one more day in the Mara to Sandi's I'd like that even morem but that's 11 days. See if Kensington can do Sandi's itinerary and see how that price compares to the trip they offered. Otherwise, check out other companies that do private trips and see what they offer.

These are a few agents that have been used successfully by Fodorites:

Good Earth in Tanzania & Tampa
Africa Serendipity in NYC (and you can talk to Sandi in person)
Africa Adventure in Ft. Lauderdale where they'll do the international flights too

Don't delay because July is a popular month and accommodations book up fast.

Good luck and it will be a fantastic trip.

Thanks for the quick responses. Here is the Tanzania only itinerary that they suggested. After reading your comment about 10 days pushing both countries and the migration in early July is in Tanzania anyway.....seems smart to do the one part The July 1 first day looks like this:

Day 1 - Arrv JRO. Arusha; Mtn Village,Serena (standard)

Day 2 - Arusha-Tarangire game viewing w/Tarangire Sopa (lodge - B, L, D)

Day 3 - Same as #2 - game viewing

Day 4 - Ngorongoro: Kensington Camp (tent or Serena, Sopa) game viewing and crater tour

Day 5 - Ngorongoro: Kensington Camp (tent or Serena, Sopa) - game viewing

Day 6 - Serengeti: Kensington Camp (tent or Serena, Mbalageti) game viewing

Day 7 - Serengeti: Kensington Camp (tent or Serena, Mbalageti) game viewing

Day 8 - Arusha: Dept JRO (Seronera-Arusha flight 11:30am)

All of the game viewing shows private 4X4 and B, L, D is included all days except arrival day and dept day. Dept day includes lunch.

So sandi, are you in the business as well? I'm not tied to Kensington but they seem to be a good tour company. What ballpark price should I expect to pay for this? My international air fare, visas, laundry, tips, beverages and trip insurance is not included in what they quoted. I understand that. We will be traveling from Orlando, FL, which is our home.

Thanks a ton!

hans -

To the above revised itinerary you show, I'd add another day in the Serengeti. Whether you get lodging in Central (the Kensington tent) or Western (Mbalageti or other) which are only 2/hrs apart, your game drives can be in either or both areas on these now 2/full-days available to you.

I don't necessarily recommend tented camps on the crater rim; at 7,000' it's quite nippy at night. Being under a roof w/ 4-walls is a nicer (warmer) option.

Agents never identify themselves personally or promote their own businesses, so you probably won't get a response from Sandi here. Other posters who have no vested interested (like me) can mention particular agents and I thought you might be interested in pursuing the itinerary with the provider of the suggestions. I also mentioned some other companies as well.

RE: pricing
Kensington’s looks like $3855 for the 8 day, 7 night trip. Unless you were limited to only 8 days or had some other things you were doing in Africa, in addition to this trip, that’s a lot of time and $ in international travel for 8 days of Africa fun.

I was pleased to Kensington’s prices also listed a solo category, as that’s how I usually go. That will be helpful to me in the future, so thanks!

http://www.goodearthtours.com/tanzan...i_special.html

Theirs is about $2500 per person for a 10-day trip with 9 nights in Africa. To make it private, add about another $150. They also have some packages with airfare.


http://www.go2africa.com/tanzania/8-...zania-in-style

Theirs is over 3 times the cost of Good Earth but is mostly flying. You can see if they have driving itineraries.


http://www.africa-adventure.com/safa...ri_to_tanzania

Looks like about $4200 ppn for when you’d be going and includes one key flight. You can contact the company directly for more details and exact costing of the private trip.

These are some of the companies that publish their pricing. They offer a reference point on costs. You could alter these suggestions with these companies or mix and match ideas to create your own itinerary with any outfitter.

Camping at the crater is indeed a consideration. It will be cold and it’s colder in a tent at night than a lodge. Below are some temps links and info. The chart doesn’t line up evenly, but you can see July comes in at a max of 13 C. So at night it’s cold and I can attest to that. While tented camps elsewhere in the trip are a bonus and offer a more intimate environment with wildlife likely to be closer, that’s not true at the crater. You do not camp in the crater with the animals because that is no longer allowed.


I’d see if you can swap the crater tent for Sopa Lodge. I like Sopa for its private access road into the crater. I thought it was a beautiful facility with great views. Serena is supposed to be even nicer. Down a notch from Sopa in luxury and price was Wildlife Lodge, also just fine and I’d go back there too.

http://www.safarilands.org/np_ngorongoro.php

Temperature
(Maximum Celsius in Resort Areas)
Area J F M A M J J A S O N D
Ngorongoro 20 21 21 18 17 15 13 11 15 18 18 20
Rainfall chart.

Area J F M A M J J A S O N D
Ngorongoro 18 14 13 27 18 5 5 5 6 10 19 22

As for Sopa at Tarangire, it was a very lovely lodge but not as much wildlife in that area as nearer the park gate. Tarangire Tented Lodge or Tarangire River Camp would be better locations from my experience.

One general comment. I think you want 3 nights in the Serengeti if you focus on Tanzania because that's where most of the animal action should be. If you end up in Kenya, then 3 nights in the Mara.

In July you can shift toward either country for good wildlife. That may be an important consideration for availablity.

The earlier in July the more I'd opt for Tanzania, the later in July the more I'd opt for Kenya.

Good feedback. I looked at air fare......YIKES! $13,000 for the 2 of us to JRO and under $4500 for us to Nairobi! Adding some days and doing the Kenya portion coming and going is starting to make some sense now even if there are LONG drive days going and coming. I'm wondering....is a day/night at the crater a must? I'm getting goose bumps just planning this trip! Thanks!

$6,500/person to JRO... ugh! From where in the States are you flying? From the East Coast, the fare should be in the $1,700/person range; about $2,200-2,300/person from West Coast. Avoid weekends, go for mid-week.

If you can't find an attractive fare online, check out consolidator/wholesalers (your local paper will have these listed) or go to your neighborhood travel agent... it's worth the small fee.

Checking fares over the w/e will not be very favorable; try mid-week and midnight when the airlines reset their prices/availability.

Friends recently came up with online fare of $3,400/person for Oct, till I told them to see their TA (happened to be Amerian Express) and they got tickets $1,700/person.

Check the following site offering fares to Africa:
www.consolidatorwebfares.com/afspecials.htm

If they don't have your dates listed, there's a phone # on the site (somewhere), give a call and talk to someone.

Hansboomer -

Picking up on the good advice from Atravelynn, you might also want to contact Africa Serendipity. We got excellent advice there while planning our TZ/Kenya trip for later this year.

Web address is: www.africaserendipity.com

Jim

That airfare does not seem right for coach. Maybe business or first class.

Lynn - Oooops, spot on... it might be Business. Still a heavy ticket. But what do I know, always flying "last" class - steerage Still, OP should check other options or a TA.

Hansboomer,
With Sandi and Lynn giving you advice, you are on the right track!

I second their recommendations for a custom itinerary. And no, private tours do not mean you are a snob. If that were the case, most of us fodorites would have to fess up to snobbery!

Echoing what has already been said, you should definitely spend a night at the Crater. Depending on when you arrive/depart, my personal opinion is that if you can get a full day in the Crater, or two half days, that is plenty. Often that can be done with only one night. I also agree you should spend time in the western Serengeti this time of year.

The Crater, Serengeti, and Mara are a good combination for a first trip. I've never been to Tarangire.

Like Lynn and Sandi, I am also confused by the quote you mentioned for flight cost. If you can find less expensive flights to/from NBO, book that round trip and take a one way flight to get from Kenya to Tanzania.

I haven't used an airfare consolidator, but during my initial search for flights I always first check out prices on Kayak to see which airlines have the best prices from my city. Are you trying to stay with certain airlines to get FF points? That could make a difference. Also, as Lynn mentioned, are you looking at business class? That makes a huge difference. I picked middle of the week dates in July, and it looks like both One World and SkyTeam, round trip to NBO is about $2,450. MCO-JRO round trip eliminated the possibility of OneWorld in the search I did, and SkyTeam came up close to $7,000. YIKES. Might have been the days I chose, but I don’t think so.

You should definitely consider round trip MCO-NBO with Kenya Airways between NBO and JRO since they are also a member of SkyTeam. To get a quote you probably need to use the SyTeam site instead of the Delta website. Also check out www.kayak.com.

Again, thanks for the feedback. I found air now into JRO for $4500-5,000 total for the 2 of us! Also, I have contacted Africa Serendipity to see what they offer. Thank you all so much.

Tim, I don't really have much to add to the already great advice offered by Sandi and Lynn. I just wanted to express my excitement for you as I will be a repeat visitor (private safari) to Tz this July. Have fun with the planning, but try to pin down your accommodations soon before they're all booked up.