I requested a safari quote from CC and got no reply. My second request got a reply with an itinerary so unlike what I asked for I have given up on them. Not impressed at all. Oh, and their price was outrageous.

I agree with whomever said that there was no advantage in booking with CCAfrica directly. Even I, as a a travel agent, don't book directly with them. I actually tried, but found it very difficult so booked them through a company that I frequently do business with. No price differences and much better communication. They are a good company though, don't get me wrong.

Thought I'd finish describing our experiences with booking with CC Africa for the benefit of anyone who searches for info here.

After all the efforts to get them to accept our deposit to hold the booking, the problems continued. First I received e-mail from Giraffe Manor informing me that CC Africa had cancelled our booking. (They had my e-mail address because I had some correspondence with them about the day we would spend there.) CC Africa claimed that was Giraffe Manor's mistake, not theirs. Anyway, I assume they straightened it out.

Then there was the saga of trying to make the final payment. Their documents claim that payment in full is due 45 days before the trip. About 50 days out I attempted to get info about the final amounts and procedure for payment. I was told they would contact me for final payment. Nothing. Now I'm perfectly willing to hold on to our money as long as possible but I was concerned that I would receive an e-mail saying that the reservations were cancelled because we failed to make payment when due.

About 35 days out I contacted them again and was told I would be contacted when payment was due. Twenty one days out and still nothing. Finally, less than three weeks before the trip I receive a bill and payment instructions. The bill indicates that payment was due 10 days earlier. (I can't do a money transfer in dollars to a bank in Ireland as I did for the deposit, since there were "problems" with the account.)

Prior to faxing off a credit card number I studied the very detailed invoice which lists all components of the trip, eg all taxes for all flights, etc. I noticed that there are discrepancies between the "final itinerary" and the invoice. I decide to fax the credit card and sort out the itinerary discrepancies later.

This morning (four days later) I received e-mail confirming receipt of the fax and a change in one of the transfers so that it now matches the invoice. So two weeks before we're scheduled to leave I believe it will really happen. I've even delayed buying the meds until final payment was made.

I naively booked directly with CC Africa because I wanted to put together a trip quickly and was concerned about some of the bait/switch tactics people have reported. I hope the on- the- ground experience will be good but my experiences with the trip arrangements were very frustrating. Obviously this is a single itinerary and I don't know if my experiences are typical but I would warn people to approach direct booking with CC Africa with caution.

I asked my CC Africa contact at least six times whether credit cards are accepted for balloon rides at Bataleur and I still don't have an answer...

marija:
Sorry that you have had such a frustrating time--but it will all fade away once you are there. Have a great trip.

Thanks for the update and sorry you had a bad time with CC Africa.

We, too, dealt with them directly and had a different experience entirely. The CC Africa representative always got back to me (and someone else did in her absence) on their next business day. They even offered to call at a convenient time if I wanted to talk.

Have a wonderful trip and I certainly hope all the travel issues are behind you now.

CW

Comparing apples to apples:

2 - Manyara Serena
2 - NCL
2 - Seregeti Serena
3 - Kirawira

CCAfrica was extremely over priced from the other outfitters/operators we contacted.

JMHO.