Help with possible itinerary-Kenya,Tasania
 

HI there,
Just started planning my trip and really need your help. I've included a possible itinerary for the beginning of August with possible places to stay. I'm interested in Lodges and permanent tented camps and I will be travelling on my own. Any feedback would be really appreciated :)
Possible Itinerary

-Travel from Toronto to Amsterdam, Amsterdam to Nairobi
Day 1 (July 31st or Aug. 1st) Arrive Nairobi – Nairobi Serena Hotel
Day 2 Nairobi to Tree Hotel (Aberdare National Park) – Ark Lodge
Day 3 Aberdare Mountains to Samburu - Samburu Serena Lodge
Day 4 Samburu
Day 5 Samburu to Lake Nakuru – Lion Hill Lodge
Day 6 Lake Nakuru to Masai Mara – Mara Sarova or Serena Lodge
Day 7 Masai Mara
Day 8 Masai Mara to Ngorongoro Crater – Ngorongoro Serena Lodge
Day 9 Ngorongoro Crater
Day 10 Ngorongoro Crater to Serengeti – Serengeti Serena Lodge
Day 11 Serengeti
Day 12 Serengeti
Day 13 Serengeti to Tarangire National Park – Lodge?
Day 14 Tarangire to Arusha – Mountain Village Lodge
Day 15 Flight to Dar Salem
Day 16 Dar Salem
Day 17 Flight to Nairobi
Day 18 Nairobi
Day 19 Nairobi
Day 20 Leave for Toronto via Amsterdam

Torgirl
You are very lucky to have so much time in East Africa!

Before going into the day-to-day itinerary, have you considered a Southern Circuit safari in Tanzania? Or Zanzibar/Pemba/Mafia?

You will be in Kenya during the migration and you are doing Samburu & Nakuru and the Mara - these are excellent choices.

In Tanzania however, the Ngorongoro is a must-see and Tarangire is very good in August but the Serengeti will be a lesser experience than you had in the Mara - except for the crowds near Seronera.

Since you are flying out to Dar, I think you should consider spending a few days in Selous rather than the Serengeti. The walking safaris etc. are wonderful.

All of this depends on your budget though, but one can shave expensives in quite a few places.

For example, it is really unnecessary to stay at the Mountain Village in Arusha. For less than half, you can spend the night in the Impala or similar.

I think we need to talk more about Selous, Ruaha, Katavi, Mahale on this board!

Day 8 -- very difficult, if not impossible, to get from Mara to Crater in one day

Days 11, 12 and 13 -- the Mara and the Serengeti are two sections of the same ecosystem, and you should seriously research whether its worth visiting the Serengeti if the migration is up in the Mara

Day 16 -- what are you going to do in Dar for two days?

Days 17 to 19 -- same question. Three days is a long time to spend in Nairobi.

My comments echo those of climbhighsleeplow and thit cho. Since the Mara is in high gear in August, may I suggest more time there than the Serengeti, or perhaps replace the Serengeti all together. Although I give this advice, I did not follow it on my first Africa trip because I thought it might be my only Africa trip and I wanted to see the Serengeti, which I had heard and read about all my life. I didn't care if it was not the optimal time (though not a bad time), I wanted to go. It was not as spectacular as the Mara, but there were some good sitings and the vastness was great to experience.

I notice you stated you are interested in lodges and permanent tented camps, but I don't think I see any permanent tented camps, except maybe Tarangire Safari Lodge (if that is where you are staying) with tents. You could add a tented camp in the Mara. There have been many suggestions of tented camps on this site. My own experience is Little Governor's, which is a classic in a good location and Mara River Camp (which I never see mentioned by Fodorites, but I've spent several weeks over a couple of visits and really liked it. Fairly simple place with good location. I ran into more professional photographers here than anywhere else.) Wherever you end up, I think a few more days in a Mara tented camp would be a nice addition.

It certainly is a full itinerary, but have to agree with other posters regarding:
- more time in the Mara over the Serengeti
- why Dar?
- if Dar, then visit the Selous
- if not the Selous, then visit Zanzibar or Pemba
- 3-days Nairobi is too much
- you certainly can't do the Mara to the Ngorongoro Crater in 1-day
- I see lodges only; where are the perm-tented camps?

This appears to be a driving only safari (except where flights noted) - a preset scheduled itinerary provided by a tour operator, rather than one you custom designed yourself?

And what kind of budget are you looking at? ... and does that include your single supplement?

Hi there,
Thanks a lot for your suggestions. Because I'm travelling on my own, I can't custom design a tour. I've contacted a few different tour companies and basically, I have to follow what's laid on. So what I did was look at different organized tours and choose some ideas which I think that I may be able to follow through with. I've decided not to go to Dar and not to spend as much time in Nairobi thanks to your suggestions. One of the tours I was looking at was all lodges, no tented camps. I"m not sure if I can do a switch. As I refine my itinerary, I'll ask for more suggestions.
Thanks!

i am also looking to do a african safari tour about the begining of aud, is this a good time, i wil be travelling with my wife and 2 teen agers. what is a good place to land and start from?

Of course you can design a custom itinerary, as long as you don't mind traveling with only your guide/driver (or if you do some camping - also a cook) and pay a single supplement. You might have to shorten the itinerary, but why not try to get the best for the time of year you're visiting.

There is a woman who posts here regularly - Jan Goss - every year, one or twice, she travels to Kenya. Of course, I don't know what she pays, but I don't believe it's very expensive. You might want to search on her name, read her trip reports. Then contact the tour operator she has used for these many itineraries - Southern Cross Safaris (believe located in Mombasa). Send Southern Cross an email and provide them with what you believe would be your dream itinerary - based on recommendations/suggestions above and see what price they can come up with.

Or post a thread here "Attn: Jan Goss, have questions re solo travel" and then the two of you can discuss possibilities, concerns, etc.