Next June,three of my friends and I will be going on safari to Tanzania.This part of the trip ends in the Western Serengeti at the Kirawira Tented Camp.Our tour operator wants to charter a flight from Grumeti to Nairobi,then a scheduled flight to Entebbe, followed by a 2.5 hr. drive to Volcanoes National Park. This seems like a round-about-way of getting to Rwanda.What are my options?

I'd go via Kigali - its a shorter drive to Parc National des Volcans (PNV) and the road is, in my opinion, better. It would also save a visa for Uganda and an extra border crossing. It might be pushing things to get from Grumeti to PNV in a day via Entebbe as the Uganda \ Rwanda border closes quite early. There are scheduled flights Nairobi -> Kigali using Rwandair Express (Kenyan Airways codeshare).

Are you flying into Grumeti ? If so, consider a drive out to Arusha (if there is a vehichle available) - its a days safari in its own right - then O\Night there and catch scheduled flights Kilimanjaro --> Nairobi --> Kigali - you could be in the PNV by the evening.

When we were recently in Tanzania we heard something about the "closing of the Grumeti airstrip" - whether this is true or when, I cannot say. They seem to want to repair the runway at Grumeti, so closing it maybe the only way.

However, the drive from Grumeti to Arusha is a long bumpy one* and might actually necessitate an overnight midway; or an overnight in Arusha before continuing to NBO.

*even longer if you stop for game viewing along the way.

Whether it has to be Charter from Grumeti to Nairobi or not, I know that there were special fares for a through flight from Grumeti (via Arusha/Kili) to Nairobi in '05. So I'd check whether it is actually a charter or a scehduled flight that your agent is talking about.

Unfortunately, there are no flights from the Grumeti area direct into Uganda - routing is thru NBO.

Once in Nairobi, you'll have to decide whether to go into Entebbe or Kigali.

I believe your operator meant that you will fly from Nairobi to Kigali, from where its a very nice two-hour drive through cloud-covered mountains to Volcanoes National Park. It would probably take 10 hours to drive there from Entebbe.

Is it possible to charter a flight from Grumeti to Kigali? If not, I think you'll need to route through Nairobi, but your operator should know the best way.

You may be able to go by road, but its a long drive, albeit very interesting, I would imagine.

I also think your tour operator meant a scheduled flight from Nairobi to Kigali and not Entebbe as it definitely wouldn't be a 2.5 hour drive from Entebbe!

Thanks for your suggestions!

daviesq....I'm not flying into Grumeti, that's where my safari ends.

Sandi...I read your trip report and I'm glad you weren't Croc bait! I hope they don't close this airstrip.I'll ask my agent if it's cheaper to fly to Arusha/JRO/NBO/Kigali. That also seems like an inconvient way to get there.It's a charter, because we're being charged $800 to get to NBO.

thit cho...I tried to read your trip report to Uganda from Aug. 2003, but couldn't find it.

You are not that far from Mwanza. Can't your tour operator arrange overland transportation onward to there. The highway is directly West of Kirawira. From Mwanza you can arrange a flight or again overland transportation to Kigali.

loveintravelin, I topped my trip report for you.