moondoggie

Such a wealth of information, Fodorites--thank you! How should I structure this safari vacation for 4 fun fifty-somethings? We will fly into NAR or Arusha, and go to six different camps in K and T. Do we pick up a guide who drives with us to all these camps? Do we fly between camps? Do we rent a vehicle and drive ourselves between camps? Can we count on each camp to provide all the vehicles-drivers-guides for the morning and evening game drives? If driving (or flying), between camps, is that done in the afternoons so as to be available for both morning and evening game drives in each camp? Is flying between camps a huge expense compared to driving? Any approximate ratio?
Whew! Lots of questions, but we want to do this right. We're thinking Aug-Sept-Oct 2007.
Thanks to all!

OnlyMeOirish

Hi,
I can't really advise you which is the best option (fly or drive) but I'm sure that the more experienced Fodorites will jump in here BUT here are a couple of links which will give you an idea of flight prices (mainly in Kenya). It certainly adds to the cost.

www.safarilink.co.ke
www.airkenya.com
www.kenya-airways.com

Imelda

Patty

Any idea where in Kenya and Tanzania you want to go? How many days do you have available?

Depending on the specific locations, sometimes one or the other is impractical so a combination of flying and driving might work best.

Flying is more expensive that driving, particularly since you have 4 to share the vehicle with but adding one or two flights where necessary and/or practical isn't hugely expensive.

sandi

Aug, Sep are high-season with high prices. By mid-Sep prices go down at some camps/lodges, more prices go down in October. Camps are usually more expensive than lodges. So what kind of budget are you considering?

With four people sharing, the cost of your vehicle/guide is reduced, however, it is highly recommended you fly some routes, rather than drive.

You can fly into NBO and out of JRO (Kilimanjaro/Arusha), but note that only KLM flies in/out of JRO (or Ethipian Air via Addis Ababa). Flight schedules and prices will not be available before about 330-days out of when you plan to depart, but it's not too early to start working on the land portion of your safari.

From your reading you've probably got some idea of what areas are of interest. So give us your thoughts so we can comment and make suggestions.

moondoggie

I had heard that one could arrange for charter/bush planes rather than scheduled carriers. But again, driving ourselves might be best, if possible, and if it is reasonably safe. Our initial choices are (1)Mt Kenya Nat's Park, (2) Lake Nakuru NP, (3) Masai Mara, (4) Serengeti NP, (5) Ngorongoro, (6) Tarangire NP, plus one or two other camps someone might recommend. This route is circular, so seems reasonable, and could be done in either order. We would consider seeing Vic Falls, but have no desire to climb Mt K. We would have 10-14 days excluding after arriving in Nairobi. Would love to find a map or guide to driving--haven't had much luck with mileage (kms!) distances between camps. Our budget is US $3500-5000 per person excluding travel to/from Nairobi.
Thanks again for any info/suggestions.

sandi

It's so easy to arrange your itinerary through an in-country outfitter (Kenya and/or Tanzania) or thru one in your home country (US, UK, OZ, etc.) who will coordinate a vehicle, driver, flights, accommodations, why try to do it on your own. Travel to Africa, for the most part, isn't like travel to Europe.

While there are road maps for these countries, there are no road signs, most are dirt roads, few blacktop. Those that are can be full of moon craters. And once in a game park, where do you go? You'll need to have radio contact in case of breakdowns; while many speak English, as many don't.

Best to leave this to a professional. And with just the four of you, you can set your own scheduled, hours when you go on game drives, how long to stay at sightings, etc. etc.

Do a search on this board for Tour Operators - Kenya (or Tanzania) where the threads will appear in the left column. Select a few, send a request with an idea of your interests, when planning to travel, tents or lodges and budget. Leave it to the professionals who can pull it altogether for you group.

Patty

Find out if it's possible to cross directly from the Mara to the Serengeti in a private self drive vehicle (I think it is) and what's involved.

It's not something that's undertaken by tour operators so that what appears to be a reasonably circular route on a map, is not. Tour operators will use the Isebania crossing which is about a 10 hour detour or they'll route you(either by road or flying) through Nairobi and Arusha.

With 10-14 days in Aug/Sep/Oct, you might also want to consider just staying in Kenya. You could add Samburu or Laikipia or both and that would already be plenty of destinations given your time frame.

LyndaS

After just coming back from a safari on the regular route, I sure wouldn't want to undertake planning a self-drive - I would echo Sandi - best left to the professionals!
Take a look in the East Africa Trip Index to see some of the more common ones
http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34725679
Hope this helps!

kimburu

A couple of things to take into consideration:

1. Compared to a hire car it won't be that much more expensive to get a safari vehicle with driver - and if you do it through a safari company you will then have zero liability - in fact the company will replace your vehicle, mend your punctures etc. - and deal with police checkpoints! However, it appears there is no way you could do that Mara/Serengeti crossing under such circumstances - Tanzania doesn't want Kenyan safari operators in the Serengeti and so sends them via Lake Victoria.
2. Given the logistics if you do go the driving route (which I'd certainly recommend - perhaps with a driver - if you like the challenge of driving around in strange countries and don't mind some really rough roads) it probably doesn't make sense to do both the Mara and the Serengeti unless you can cross in the Mara. It might be more sensible to do what patty suggested and drop Tanzania and add northern Kenya to your itinerary, or (and you would almost certainly miss the migration this way in August or September, which would be a shame) skip the Mara and visit Tsavo or Amboseli on the way to Arusha. I believe that Tsavo is likely to be at it's very best for wildlife viewing around the time you are going - see the photos and trip reports by regualar poster Jan Goss among others for an idea of what that is like. Tsavo is also definitely the best set place for self-drive or totally independent travel, since the Nairobi to Mombassa highway and train line run right through it.

Truth is though, unless you are willing to rough it a bit or know someone who will lend you a 4WD you will not save much if anything by arranging everything yourself (Tsavo very much excluded). One piece of vital information missing from this board is the REAL cost of self-drive in East Africa for a "green" tourist and so you would be doing us a great service if you were to be our guinea pig... anyway, you have time and you shouldn't close the door on the idea just yet. Once you get your accommodation booked in the Mara (should you choose August or September) you can fiddle around with this for a good few months yet. What fun!

aby

moondoggie

Some will disagree, but if is a fly-only safari IMO you have not really been to Africa.
At least some driving (& of course stopping on the way) is a must !!

specific advice will be given later when u start 'building' your program

Aby

PS-1. The mainstream of this (fantastic!) forum is mainly wildlife-oriented.
Africa is much more than wildlife

PS-2. the writer is a zoologist ...

luangwablondes

You should be able to rent a 4x4 with fuel and maybe even a driver included for max. $200/day inclusive with that itinerary. The fuel is always an issue. You can get maps, but they normally don't include the tracks that are important in a trip like this. The best and most current is the Tracks4Africa digital maps you can download and plan your trip with. It has tools to measure distances. This will require a Garmin map capable gps, cable to pc/gps and with Mapsource loaded on to your pc, easy to make a plan. Although its coverage could be better in Kenya and Tanz, for what you need it is quite good. Once loaded on the gps, it is your means of navigation also.

Best to use in conjunction with ebens www.go-safari.com so you can visualize initially the locations of the camps and approximate locations. This way it can help you decide on camps in route. You will need to have google earth on your pc for this.

Doing this way would keep you in your budget and save mucho bucks in transfers by plane and other once off vehicles. Also, normally when in camps or lodges, they supply the vehicle and guide for game drives. So no fretting about being able to locate the wildlife. With your own vehicle you can also schedule to drive between camps after AM game drives and b4 pm game drives. Thats providing distances are not too great like if you must do the loop outside the Mara to the Serengeti. This is something to discuss with the rental outfit. Independent travelers can cross at Sand River border post without problems. When with a tour operator its not possible as I understand it.

Remember there is also fees associated with the vehicle in the parks that can add to the cost per day- just flashed on that.

And signage is an issue in Africa, so you do need maps or a knowledgeable driver. I done it b4 good maps were available and wish I had T4A. But on the otherhand, it forced me to get out of the vehicle and interact with the locals to ask directions.

TzGuy

Unless you're very very familar with East Africa - Don't even think about a self drive. I'm a resident there, and I wouldn't dream of self driving outside areas where I'm very familar. If I'm going any distance at all I always hire a driver (who is also a mechanic.)

You probably won't make it past the first police check point. And what do you do if your vehicle breaks down? One of the most important skills that every driver/guide has is how to fix or jerry-rig a vehicle to get it back to where it can really be fixed. I have had springs, suspension ball joints, and a little bit of everything tied together with rubber bands made from tire tubes to get back to civilization where real repairs could be made.

Much better idea since you're thinking of going on a safari is to find a good tour operator that you feel comfortable with, and have them do it all for you. You will be busy trying to figure out what all you want to do at each location, and that will be enough. Let the operational part of the safari to those who know how to do it, and what to do in case something doesn't go right (as it will.)

You probably don't understand the wide distances that you're planning to cover. You also should think about having a good point to jump on a plane and get to on of the other far away locations so that you can continue your safari.

Most roads in East Africa are not paved, and to drive or even ride long distances is really bone jarring.

You should be able to get your safari the way you want it for your budget, especially since there are 4 of you which will make for a nice fit in a safari vehicle.

moondoggie

Fodorites, you've convinced me--we will not try to do our own driving. Can you help me narrow down tour operators please? Lodges or tents (platformed and already set up, please!)preferred, ensuite facilities (outdoor showers welcomed!), good but not frou frou food, kid-UNfriendly, quality vehicles, knowledgable guides/drivers. We may use FF miles to fly to/from Nairobi or Arusha. We are low-maintenance couples who are very easy going.
Thanks once again to all.

Patty

In the East Africa trip report index http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34725679 you'll find a list of who used which tour operators in Kenya/Tanzania and what their experiences were.

I think you tend to see more families with younger children in the larger safari lodges, at least that's been my experience. Not that you're guaranteed a child free experience anywhere. I don't know that many camps that have age restrictions in East Africa though some don't encourage very young children as guests.