Katavi-Mahale-Ruaha
#22
Join Date: Feb 2005
Posts: 2,309
Richard,
Thanks for your report. I already knew that I had to go to southern Tanzania. Now I know it even more.
I don’t mind posts with advertising - the problem is that they often get deleted very quickly.
Thanks for your report. I already knew that I had to go to southern Tanzania. Now I know it even more.
I don’t mind posts with advertising - the problem is that they often get deleted very quickly.
#23
Join Date: Dec 2005
Posts: 64
Johan - You're welcome. Nice to be able to pass on information and personal thoughts to others who are interested
Cyn - yes, like gorilla viewing each group is restricted to an hour a day with the chimps. The difference from gorillas is that the same family of chimps may be visited by more than one group each day
Mat & Nik (I'm guessing names here) - I'm a snapper rather than a photographer. Two reasons: The first is that I actually enjoy not having a camera to my eye the whole time and simply recording the scene in my mind's eye. The second is that I've realised I just don't have an eye for it and my photo's are never as good as I hope them to be or as good as those available from camps etc. I know what I am good at and it's not composing a nice photo. There are lots of Mahale-Katavi shots on the Nomad Tanzania website - much better than you'd ever get from me.
Nyamera - You're right that you have to go. It's not cheap since the long light aircraft flights add up, but compared to Botswana in high season Tanzania is good value, more remote and much quirkier. The three camps in my report couldn't be in more different habitats, support more different wildlife or be more different in style and location.
It is super. I'm glad I posted and you all replied since it's brought the trip back to me.
Thanks, Richard
(and that's enough 'more differents' for a while)
Cyn - yes, like gorilla viewing each group is restricted to an hour a day with the chimps. The difference from gorillas is that the same family of chimps may be visited by more than one group each day
Mat & Nik (I'm guessing names here) - I'm a snapper rather than a photographer. Two reasons: The first is that I actually enjoy not having a camera to my eye the whole time and simply recording the scene in my mind's eye. The second is that I've realised I just don't have an eye for it and my photo's are never as good as I hope them to be or as good as those available from camps etc. I know what I am good at and it's not composing a nice photo. There are lots of Mahale-Katavi shots on the Nomad Tanzania website - much better than you'd ever get from me.
Nyamera - You're right that you have to go. It's not cheap since the long light aircraft flights add up, but compared to Botswana in high season Tanzania is good value, more remote and much quirkier. The three camps in my report couldn't be in more different habitats, support more different wildlife or be more different in style and location.
It is super. I'm glad I posted and you all replied since it's brought the trip back to me.
Thanks, Richard
(and that's enough 'more differents' for a while)
#24
Join Date: Nov 2004
Posts: 14,440
Thank you Richard. I'm saving your report. How many nights did you spend at each park?
#25
Join Date: Dec 2005
Posts: 64
Dear Lynn
Sadly for us we spent just two nights in each Park (three at Mahale) since I'm a tour operator and this was an educational trip for me on which we visited other Parks, camps and lodges (we came from the coast and had been to Selous on the way to Ruaha and had stayed in Jongomero as well in Ruaha).
For clients I always try and get them to spend longer rather than shorter as I believe you get under the skin of an area the more time you spend there. To do this the guiding and hosting have to be strong enough to be able to cope with longer stays (guides need knowledge and imagination to keep clients excited) and the area and wildlife have to be worth it. If possible there have to be more activities than just drives or you can start to feel you are covering the same ground over and over.
Note that Chada (Katavi) now has bush camps away from the main camp in a different area in terms of habitat. This would allow you to stay longer and feel you are seeing more.
For all these camps it also makes sense for most people to stay longer from an economic point of view since the flight costs are so high. This would be more true if. like us, you combined Ruaha with the others as the flight Ruaha to Katavi is huge. The Nomad scheduled flights for which they have a 'seat in plane' rate go from Arusha to Katavi and Mahale and not from Dar or Ruaha.
I don't sit still easily but still think that even I could easily spend four days in each of these camps/areas without a problem.
Richard
Sadly for us we spent just two nights in each Park (three at Mahale) since I'm a tour operator and this was an educational trip for me on which we visited other Parks, camps and lodges (we came from the coast and had been to Selous on the way to Ruaha and had stayed in Jongomero as well in Ruaha).
For clients I always try and get them to spend longer rather than shorter as I believe you get under the skin of an area the more time you spend there. To do this the guiding and hosting have to be strong enough to be able to cope with longer stays (guides need knowledge and imagination to keep clients excited) and the area and wildlife have to be worth it. If possible there have to be more activities than just drives or you can start to feel you are covering the same ground over and over.
Note that Chada (Katavi) now has bush camps away from the main camp in a different area in terms of habitat. This would allow you to stay longer and feel you are seeing more.
For all these camps it also makes sense for most people to stay longer from an economic point of view since the flight costs are so high. This would be more true if. like us, you combined Ruaha with the others as the flight Ruaha to Katavi is huge. The Nomad scheduled flights for which they have a 'seat in plane' rate go from Arusha to Katavi and Mahale and not from Dar or Ruaha.
I don't sit still easily but still think that even I could easily spend four days in each of these camps/areas without a problem.
Richard
