I am hoping to get to Africa in or around May 2011 for two weeks with a girlfriend.

I've been to Kruger, Sabi Sands, Cape Town, Kenya, Botswana and Zanzibar. I'd like to see the Serengeti region as well as another part of Kenya (other than Kichwa Tembo tented). I am thinking of Phinda (KwaZulu, SA), Tortilis Camp (Amboseli, Kenya) and Serengeti Sopa Lodge (Tanzania). Three-four nights each.

MUST HAVES: Open air Range Rovers (no closed trucks or vans), semi-luxurious rooms (can be tents) and ABOVE ALL, great game viewing. I love the early morning/late afternoon drives, meals served in the bush, sundowners and the like. I love smaller and rustic, and I'd like to see (from afar, at least) Kilimanjaro. What I absolutely do not want are public parks where trucks pull in from all different camps to see the animals. I want quiet and exclusive viewing.

Budget around 35,000 ZAR (lodging 12 nights). Please, please send any suggestions you may have!! Or any reasons why I should NOT go to the camps above!

kenya; tortilis camp in amboseli, samburu intrepids camp, The Ark tree lodge in Aberdares..........great places

Tanzania; Ngorongoro Serena Lodge, Serengeti Serena Lodge....great places

We are considering a return to Kenya as well. Our first was ten years ago on the typical "safari 101" route. This past January we did a very special return to Africa for our 40th wedding anniversary. On that trip we wanted to be as far away from the crowds as possible. Went to southern Tanzania -- Selous and Ruaha. Loved it. (see my trip report and photos)

In planning another return we are looking for more of the same. My advisor has suggested Elsa's Kopje in Meru and the North River Serian Camp in Maasai Mara which he calls the "two best camps in Kenya". I haven't made up my mind yet, but have a look. I am keen on only using open sided vehicles and he has told me these both provide them.

www.africatravelresource.com/sc/K/KELSa.htm
www.africatravelresource.com/sc/K/KSENa.htm

May is one of the 2 "long" rain months (Apr/May) in East Africa (Kenya & Tanzania). This doesn't mean it will rain, nor if it does all day or every day, rather amazing brief thunderstorms in afternoon or overnight showers... neither of which will inhibit safari.

Prices are at "low" season and all is beautifully green with flowers popping everywhere and often less visitors.

The "migration" is usually found in the Central and/or Western Serengeti during this period,, but never any guarantee exactly where the herds will be.

Can't imagine when you mention Phinda and Tortilis that you'd have the Sopa Lodge at Serengeti in there. It will disappoint after the others.

Also, not sure how you plan to get from Phinda in SA all the way north to Kenya/Tanzania, which is a 4/hr flight with limited service, most between JNB and Nairobi/NBO, Kenya though there maybe a flight into Dar-es-Salaam/DAR in southern Tanzania. But from DAR or NBO you'd need a flight or very long road trip to the Serengeti taking up a full-day. Remember, on the Equator you have the same number of daylight hours year-round - 12/hrs only, unlike in the northern or southern hemispheres depending on time of year.

Tortilis at Amboseli in Kenya will give you possible views (if not covered in clouds) of Kilimanjaro (located 30/miles south in Tanzania). Otherwise, there are few places in Tanzania from where you can see Kili.

Once in East Africa, the distances between Amboseli and the Serengeti is a full-day of driving on some not very good roads. And, if by air would be a circuitous route on internal flights.

Amboseli and the Serengeti are both "public" parks in their respective countries!

Think you need some more research to streamline your wishes.

Thank you Sandi. This is week ONE of thinking and planning. My wishes will change many times. I'm no stranger to puddle jumpers and transfers, but ideally, I'd like to keep them as brief as possible. I was in Botswana and SA last May/June and only saw one rain. I realize the climate changes as I go north, but seeing as June is the month I am available, I'd take rain in Arusha over sun in Tuscany any day.

The budget is realistically about 40,000 ZAR per person although I'd like to keep it to 35,000. I have been very spoiled on my former trips to Africa.

I agree with Sandi, Serengeti Sopa does not seem to fit with the other destinations you mentioned. Although for May, the location of the lodge is not bad. But they do not offer open land rover game drives, you will probably arrive with a vehicle and driver from your local ground operator (typically a pop-up roof type vehicle).
Also, Phinda is wonderful but rather far away from Serengeti and Kenya. Why not focus this next trip just on Kenya and Tanzania? You can even add a couple of nights on the beach at Zanzibar if you wish. Here is an interesting trip report from a previous client of ours, AKR1, which you may find helpful (just to clarify, they booked a previous safari in South Africa with us, not this particular trip in Kenya and Tanzania) :
http://www.fodors.com/community/afri...the-family.cfm
Happy planning!
Onne from Wild Wings Safaris

wildwings.
Phinda is out. You are right. Too far. I have chosen Tortilis and either Ngorongoro crater lodge or Serena crater lodge. Not sure yet (price is the issue, but other things too). I have been to Zanzibar. I stayed at The Palms and it was gorgeous. I am thinking of one more camp, perhaps in Tanzania.

What do you think of Selous? I like that it's on the River, i want a different experience. What about Manyara? Do you have any suggestions to finish off my planning? I have been influenced by Travel+Leisure's Top Hotels of the World (i've already been to 5 in the top 10) and they have not disappointed.

May is a tricky month, as is early June due to the long grasses at many of the parks. This is especially so at Selous where most properties are closed in May and don't open 1st June, some not till mid-month.

At Tarangire, there's the beautifully refurbished Swala Camp and also Treetops. At Manyara, the Tree Lodge. In all three cases, these are at the farthest end of the respective parks by about 2/hrs drives (Swala & Tree Lodge), where Treetops is a 50/min drive.

And, if you want to blow your budget, check out Grumeti (Singita) where they have 3/properties on the reserve at $$$$$.

I am also swayed by the fact that I travelled to Bots/SA in May-June and the weather was fine. I am Canadian, i'm used to the snow! It was cold, yes, but not unmanageable. Does Tarangire offer a different experience than Ngorongoro and Tortillis? I assume so... I can travel earlier or later, I just chose June because of my last experience in June...

Don't compare the weather in SA/Bots with that in Ken/Tnz. The former has fall/winter weather for the southern hemisphere, whereas with the latter being on the Equator has mostly constant temps year-round, but for the wet seasons and cooler/colder mornings/evenings during months like Aug/Sep which is kind of their winter.

Tarangire is an elephant park in Tanzania, where Amboseli is in Kenya. However, for having elephants and unique species as reticulated giraffe, Grevy's zebra, gerenuk antelope, Beisa oryx, Somali ostrich and wild dogs, many choose Samburu in Kenya over Amboseli.

Ngorongoro is unique to Tanzania.

Someone please confirm this: Serena trucks are NOT open sided on both sides like the traditional Green Range Rover.

What kind of trucks does Sopa use?

Few of the lodges, if any, use open vehicles. Most are pop-top. Always best to check if you're not going to have your own guide/vehicle. In Tanzania and Kenya, most all tour operators provide closed vehicles with pop-top*, for safety purposes transiting the roads - dirt, dust, gravel, tse-tse flies, etc.

*some operators may have Rovers with roll-down canvas/plastic sides for road transport; then roll up for game viewing.

For open-sided vehicles, whether Range or Land Rovers, these have canvas tops to protect from the Equatorial sun, or roll-back tops, which you'll find at the smaller camps where guests fly-in.

kichwa tembo in mm had open-sided trucks with canvas tent tops. i remember seeing the Serena vehicles and not liking how they looked crammed inside four glass walls.

Lionlove -

Vocabulary lesson:

trucks = used on long haul overland (multiple countries) safaris for large groups.

vehicles = for safari game drives, whether closed (windows) with pop-top, open sides, canvas tops, roll-back tops.

potato, potah-to.

i still say the vehicles at Serena are sardine cans.

As far as I know, vehicles that need to go on public roads in Tanzania, need to be enclosed.

Vehicles which stay mainly in parks or game reserves can be open, and usually are.

So if you are on a circuit that involves road transfers between parks you'll probably be in an enclosed vehicle. But if you are, say, flying between private reserves, you'll be in open vehicles.

All the vehicles I've been in Selous and Ruaha have been open.

however, June may not be the best month for the south. Comparing the weather in Botswana with that of Kenya, is like saying Mexico and Canada are virtually neighbours!