Revised itinerary inside! Make more sense?

Old Aug 17th, 2005, 05:43 AM
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Revised itinerary inside! Make more sense?

Hi again-

We changed our itin yet again - I know I know, but I think we are almost there!

Sticking with ATR..

Jan 19: Arrive Arusha at night
Jan 21: Begin Shira 7night trek
Jan 28: Complete Shira 7night trek

Jan 29: 4night Safari. We were going to stay at Ngorongoro Crater Lodge, but I can't imagine it's worth the price.. So we are either trying to find an alternate lodge option on the Crater, or we're not staying there at all. If we don't stay there, I think we'll end up staying at Olduvai for 2 nights and Ronjo Flycamp for 2 nights.

Feb 2: Fly to Zanzibar. We were going to do one night in Stone Town and 2 nights on Matemwe, but now we are questioning Stone Town altogether, might not be worth it just for one night. So, either 2 or 3 nights on Zanzibar.

Feb 5: Start the long departure back to Boston.

If we were to do the N. Crater Lodge and the 3 nights on Zanzibar, total price for 2ppl(without flights) is $9200. If we cut out the Crater Lodge, we will save over $800, and if we cut a night on Zanzibar we'll save even more.

Sound ok? Reasonably priced?

We are the crazy kind of people that wherever we go, we are always moving around. We can't stay in one place for too long. We typically do 1 night here, 3 nights there, 2 nights there, etc.. so moving around doesn't bother us. And although we are not beachy people, I still think that heading to Matemwe and lounging in the water will be an excellent way to end our tiring trip.

Input is welcome! Thanks =)
BostonGal is offline  
Old Aug 17th, 2005, 05:54 AM
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Is it totally out of the question to just stay at the Serena or the Sopa at the Crater? Are you after the experience of luxury or just a nice place to sleep before (or after?) your visit to the Crater floor?

The price seems reasonable to me.
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Old Aug 17th, 2005, 05:59 AM
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Leely-
It's funny, we are the least likely people to do anything luxury - we were just going to do the Crater Lodge for fun. The rest of the trip, we're in tents so we thought, why not throw in a touch luxury into the mix? However, for us, it's just not worth it. We're definitely looking into the Sopa and Serena, but I'm not sure if ATR can book that for us.

So do you think it's worth it to try and stay at the Crater? Is the half-day tour not enough?

Thanks!
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Old Aug 17th, 2005, 06:25 AM
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Hello,

If you're not 'beachy' people, I'd drop one night in Zanzibar and keep the Crater Lodge just for the experience. It would make a nice contrast with the rest of your trip. Given that you like to keep moving, three days and nights on the beach may make you feel restless and/or bored.

Cheers,
Julian
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Old Aug 17th, 2005, 06:53 AM
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Hi BostonGal,

If I were you, I'd tend to stay cheaper while on safari and then add a bit more luxury while on Zanzibar (because that's the truly relaxing part of the trip). That said, the night after you finish your Kili climb, you are most definitely going to want something LUXURIOUS! Even if it is for one night... We climbed Mount Meru in January (which was fabulous!) and when we returned (after having camped for most of our safari and then climb...) we stayed at the Impala Hotel in Arusha - we definitely enjoyed being able to take a hot shower, have a/c... That's the one night that I wouldn't skimp on, if I were you... Where are you thinking of staying if you spend one night in Stone Town?
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Old Aug 17th, 2005, 07:26 AM
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Jasher - I wish we could do the Crater Lodge, but we save $700 if we drop it vs saving only $160 if we drop one night on Zanzibar. But I wish we could do it all!

AlwaysAfrica - good point. I was actually thinking that after 7nights on a mountain, as long as I had a bed and hot water, I wouldn't care how nice the lodge was haha! In Stone Town, we are getting booked at Emerson & Green. Have you stayed there?
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Old Aug 17th, 2005, 07:33 AM
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No - we stayed at the Tembo House and loved it. It has a pool and is right on the beach... it was terrific. I know that alot of people on this board highly recommend the Emerson & Green. Personally, when we went there to look around, I found the feel of it too uncomfortable and even when we went up to go for dinner on the rooftop, (despite the nice views), we weren't impressed with the menu and ended up heading someone else (cheaper) on the water. If I were you, I'd say that you should try to stay somewhere a little bit cheaper in Stone Town (the Tembo House is definitely at least a little bit cheaper than the Emerson & Green!), which may allow you to do more with the money...
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Old Aug 17th, 2005, 08:00 AM
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Sorry, I think I misread your message -- when you said that you could save even more if you dropped a night on Zanzibar, I thought you meant more than $800! Given that it's only $160, you are probably right to drop the Crater Lodge. If you're curious, they probably won't mind if you stop by and have a look around.

Have a great trip!

Cheers,
Julian
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