Fodor's Travel Talk Forums - Newbie Starting to plan

FP - thanks for your words of wisdom - it is so overwhelming the choices that are available.
I am usually good at planning our vacations but with the exception of Tahiti, most of them are just within the Caribbean and even with Tahiti - there are less decisions than with Africa.
I really wanted to be able to contact an operator and say: I want to go to this general location (countries), for this amount of time, with this amount of money - what would you recommend. I did that with AAC originally but I don't really feel like I am getting that "personalized" touch. Sure, they'll do/change what I ask but it seems like I have to know exactly what I want in order to be able to get it. Isn't that part of the benefit of using an operator, to "help" you plan if you're the type of person like me that wants/needs that help. I started some of my research last year and contacted AAC then and immediately I felt a good connection and thought great, this is it.....once I reviewed some basic material I knew I did not have enough money to do what I wanted. I decided to stop contributing to my tanking 401K and start contributing to my "At least I won't lose my money if I go to Africa with it" fund. And I felt good about my decision and re-contacted AAC last month but I just don't have that warm fuzzy feeling that I thought I had originally. I think that is probably why I posted my itinerary and price because I thought I could do better?????
So...now that you know all about me....:), I decided I would contact a few other operators and see what they come up with after bascially giving the same criteria of I wnat go here, for this time, wit this money. I am surprised at the results already as some have me in camps and all and with a lower price than I had been quoted. But I am going to take this weekend to compare apples to apples and see what comes out of that.
Stay tuned for the saga of "Debbie's Africa Planning".....

Thanks