Kenya & Tanzania
Jun 9th, 1999, 05:43 AM
#2
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You will get a lot of controversy with this question because some people judge the value of something by price alone. <BR>We went to both countries on a tour organized by Maupintour. It was costly, but good value for the money. Excellent guides, accommodations, itinerary. Motor equipment was less so. No matter who you go with, the roads are awful, especially in Tanzania. In our case, we went during the November short rains, without a cloud in the sky many days. Dust was a big problem because my wife is asthmatic. But filter masks and new medication helped a lot. We saw others on tour, and kept running into the same vans along the way. Abercrombie & Kent seemed to have the best vans. One thing you should ask any tour operator is how many persons occupy each van. Some were jam-packed and looked extremely uncomfortable. Taking a photo seemed to be a real hassle for them. In our case, we had only four in our van plus the driver. Using the pop-top, taking a photo of the wildlife was never a problem. So I suppose the bottom line is simply this: do not make your decision based on price alone. Ask a lot of questions. It's a long way, you won't likely be returning, and so a few extra bucks can buy a much better trip. In any case, pop for the hot-air balloon ride over the Masai Mara or Serengeti -- it's the kick of a lifetime and worth every dollar you can dig up.
Jun 9th, 1999, 09:45 AM
#3
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Jim - I agree with Al wholeheartedly. Depends on what your criteria is - camping vs. lodge, group size, vehicle type, English speaking guide, areas visited, time/location, private vs. group tour, $$$. What's your priority? I recommend going to the library and getting a bunch of books on E Africa and figuring out whats most important to your group. Then do a search of this forum: safari, Kenya, Tanzania, etc. There were quite a few threads on this around Xmas. Then check to see what companies offer the trip you're looking for. On that note, A& K always gets high marks for a high end tour, Maupintour & Micato get the ok for mid-range. We used Hoopoe for a private lodge trip and it was great. Theres a tour op assoc for Kenya - KATO that has a web site and lists its members. Also theres a forum for Kenya called Bwanazulia where you can ask more specific questions. RE: Park East - Do you mean Tsavo East? I haven't heard of the prior. Good luck. b <BR>
Jun 11th, 1999, 11:06 AM
#4
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We went with Micato in October and couldn't have asked for a better tour operator. We had a small group and they organized things around our needs. <BR>As per the previous reply, we only had four guests in each vehicle for game runs - that's important. Good luck - you will have a wonderful time.
Jun 20th, 1999, 05:26 PM
#6
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Jim <BR>Sorry about that last reply - got booted off! <BR> <BR>We went to Kenya and Tanzania for a month, and used a tour company called United Touring - they were great! We stayed in the same places as the Abercrombie and Kent folks did, only we paid hundreds of dollars less! (Of course we didn't get the little plastic A&K travel bag - but we lived through it) <BR> <BR>United Touring has offices in Pennsylvania, London and more importantly Nairobi - in case something goes wrong. We had very informative guides, the tour was well organized and their vehicles were either sturdy Land Rovers or Toyotas. In addtion, they guarantee window seats for all passengers which (of course) is important on safari. <BR> <BR>Best of luck
Jun 29th, 1999, 07:04 AM
#7
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Just got back from a 2 week trip toTanzania last Wednesday (6/23/99). We did all our travel arrangements though local tour operators via the internet and got excellent service. I told the tour operator (Bobbytours) for the northern circuit what places we wanted to go to and and the duration at each site. I did the same for the southern circuit (Coastal travel). The advantage with going with local people is that they get to keep the money in the country. Both outfits have web pages you could check out. Also, since we went at the start of the season, there weren't too many tourists yet and we received all the attention we needed.
Sep 15th, 1999, 01:57 PM
#9
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Hi Jim <BR>If I were you I would get a good airfare and then get the safari independantly..there are many good companies who do excellant safaris nad meet you from the airport and take you to your hotel..even find one for you..if you would like more information please e mail me.
Sep 19th, 1999, 07:42 AM
#14
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You are probably right. It just incenses me that this type of attitude/language keeps cropping up in this forum. You don't see it in the others. We ought to be able to talk about the merits of visiting African countries as tourist destinations without denigrating the people.
Sep 19th, 1999, 04:01 PM
#15
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This forum seeks to enlighten potential travellers about the viability of Kenya and Tanzania as tourist destinations. <BR>It is unacceptable to post a racist and arrogant message here. <BR>As a Kenyan hospitality and tourism student in the United States, I forgive you. Other readers demand that you post an apology!
