SusanLynne

Hi Roccco - yet again, I am unable to reply, so must go this dramatic route ... Just wanted to say that I think your itinerary looks lovely and I am so happy that your plans for Tanzania are on track. As for some beachside time, you may want to check out Ras Kutani, which is in the same vicinity as the Amani. And if fly-camping interests you, Sand Rivers does offer it - for an additional fee, of course. Again, glad to hear that things are working out for your trip! And thanks for keeping us posted. But you have yet to answer Sandi's question ...

Roccco

SusanLynne,

Sorry, but I do not yet have the financial wherewithal to subsidize a trip for my fellow Fodorites, assuming that is the question that is not yet answered!

I got a new quote from Roy Safaris for about $5,100 each for:

Ngorongoro Crater Lodge (2)
Kirawira Lodge (4)
Royal Palm Hotel, Dar Es Salaam (2)
River Sands, Selous (4)
Luxury Hotel Near Airport in Arusha (1)

That looks like the right itinerary for me. While the beach hotels near Dar may be nice, they will not measure up to the supposed luxury of the Royal Palm. Those two nights will be very welcomed after six straight safari days, and prior to four nights in Selous.

Roy Safari's also found me some very nice priced airfare of $1,350 per person for LAX-Amsterdam (nine night stopover-Kiliminjaro (Arusha)-Amsterdam.

I don't see how I could improve on this itinerary any so now it is onto pestering the reservation agents at KLM to try and get frequent flier mile seats, or biting the bullet and agreeing to pay $1,350 per person for the air that Roy Safari's is able to get for me.

thit_cho

Roy's has a very good reputation, and an excellent fleet of vehicles. I saw them all over while we drove around the Crater and the Serengeti. See, you can save $ booking directly with a local operator. In fact, many US operators book your trip through a local operator, like Roy's, then add a markup.

Did you get Mark Nolting's book yet? You'll read it more than twice -- I keep it on my coffeetable, along with Africa Geographic (great South Afican magazine -- worthwhile subscription) and flip through all the time.

welltraveledbrit

Rocco,
I've been away alot and so I haven't been following the board for a while and perhaps it has already been suggested but have you considered Emerson and Green in the Stone Town in Zanzibar?

You can take a ferry over from the mainland which if fun or fly... I can't comment on a comparison with the Royal Palm which I don't know but E&G is an amazing place.

It's a small boutique hotel right in the center of the stone town run by a couple of American expats...it's an Arabian Nights fantasy (the decor is incredible) and at night they have dinner with a traditional dance show on the tiny roof. It really gives you a sense of the coast as a major trading route. It's not a relaxing beach experience but a wonderful cultural experience and the stone town is nice for a day or two, although because it is a real Tanzinian town you should be prepared for the dirt etc.

It's very different than the Serena which has a pool and is clearly the more generic luxury option. We loved Emerson and Green and the great food in Zanzibar, I'd love an excuse to go back.
That's my two cents!

Roccco

WelltraveledBrit,

Thanks for the suggestion. I will definitely consider it.

I did a little more research on the Royal Palm and it looks a little monotonous to me, and I would definitely prefer a place like you described, if it fits into the itinerary.

SusanLynne

Thit_cho: another great magazine is Travel Africa, printed in the UK. Such glorious pictures and glorious information. Subscriptions are available to that one as well! Why is it that we cannot get enough of Africa??

thit_cho

You're also correct about Travel Africa. That one is easy to find on newstands in New York, so to avoid mail delay, I tend to pick it up and haven't subscribed.

Its not only Africa that I find so tempting. Although I read this board most actively, this Christmas we're traveling to the Galapagos, so this year I've been to:

February -- Warsaw and Krakow
May -- Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia and Finland
August -- Paris
August -- Uganda, Rwanda and Kenya
October -- London
December -- Quito and Galapagos

So we're not all only focused on Africa. There's a very big world out there and lots to see, and I've had great animal encounters outside Africa, like Nepal where we saw rhinos and Indonesia where we saw Komodo dragons.

In fact, I've now been on safari for 5 consecutive years and I may skip 2004 to go elsewhere, but who knows, maybe Africa will draw me back -- I'm currently thinking of visiting Gabon to see the lowland gorillas, having seen the mountain gorillas last August.