My name says it all!

I'm trying to gather information for planning a two-week trip for two couples to Tanzania and/or Kenya in August 2011. In my 'research' I discovered this forum, which seems to have a number of experienced travelers willing to share information and provide advice.

So, several very basic questions:

1. What on-the-ground services does the Tour Operator provide? I've read some trip reports in which there seems to be only one TO-supplied guide and vehicle for the entire safari and other TRs in which there seem to be camp-supplied guides and vehicles. For a safari visiting several different parks, likely travelling by aircraft, will there be a series of guides, one at each location?

2. When estimating costs, how does one translate a series of per-person-per night costs into a total cost for a group of four? One would think that some of the costs would be less for four people than four times the cost of one person.

3. For a group of four people, would it make sense, cost-wise, to arrange charter flights rather than scheduled flights (and perhaps provide a little more flexibility in moving from one location to another)?

4. What are the advantages/disadvantages of a mobile camp? In the Serengeti, how much flexibility do they have where they set up camp? Would a mobile camp make sense, cost-wise, for a group of four people?

5. If one has Visas and shots for both Tanzania and Kenya and has been admitted into both countries (e.g. by flying to Kilimanjaro via Nairobi), can one drive back and forth across the border between the Northern Serengeti and the Masai Mara?

Thanks in advance for your assistance on any or all of these questions.

Ok. Disclaimer - I don't know much about this, but what little I know...... ----->

1. It varies. Some places you stay will provide the guides and your guide will ride "shotgun" or have the day off.
Check with teh TO or agent.
2. Possibly.

3. Unlikely. Planes are usually a minimum of 12 passengers, so 4 people will pay a lot. Most airlines will have a schedule which will suit your needs. EG - they supply you to the camps.

4. Not sure a mobile camp is what you are looking for .

5. No. You need to use border crossings. Inconvenient.

See one country or the other, not both, if time is short.

It might be worth you speaking to an experienced agent in your own country to get a better feel about how it all works. However, its no problem to ask away on here. It's just not a conversation, and you have no idea whether I am an agent or strange individual who can't sleep at night!

I have just finalized a safari from beginning to end in less than 2 weeks. I worked with a man named, Diederik van den Hoeke. He freelances with go2africa.He lives in Ugandi, I think. Is extremely knowledgable about Africa. I will be going to Kenya and Tanzania. I only had 10 days.

You have nothing to loose, its a place to start. If you do get him, tell him Maxine referred you. He is funny and answered all my emails the next day!!!

He set up guides to meet me at every stop along my safari. I did not want large groups, I wanted 4x4 vehicles, set up all flights, etc Oh, I am going solo.

You will get a lot of help on this site. The people are amazing here!!!!

Good luck...Max

1) Depends whether you have a "driving" "flying" or "combo drive/fly" safari. If driving you have guide/driver one and the same; if flying the guides from the lodge/camp at which you stay. And, combo is just that... combo.

2)If a driving safari only the guide/vehicle daily costs are divided by the group, whether 2, 4, 6. Otherwise, room/tent, and flights are based on per person.

3) Charters are rather expensive and even these have "schedules" in order to get you from place-to-place so you get the full advantage of your time. Basically, check-out is by 10am, check-in from 11am-12N. Day runs from lunch to breakfast next day. Only if traveling to an area where there are no "scheduled" flights, would a charter be needed. However, if you have $$$ to spare you can fly private charter everywhere!

4) Mobile camps cannot be set-up nilly-willy wherever. There are public sites and "special" (private) sites. The former shared by others, along with the facilities of bathrooms and showers; the latter where they provide a loo in one small tent and shower in another with a separate dining area. You'd stay at a particular area for a few days and then move onto the next (tents, gear, etc.) moving with you. There are also "seasonal" camps where the camp stays put for a few months in a particular area prime for game (often 3-5/months) then moves onto the next area for a set number of months. These are distinctly different - mobile or seasonal. Neither is participatory, so you don't have to do any of the work. The seasonal camps can be as basic or lux, depending on what you pay. The cost for mobile isn't necessarily less than a standing lodge/permanent tent safari.

5) There is no legal land crossing between Serengeti/Mara for safari groups; must go via official border crossings for Immigration - Isebania, Namanga, Taveta, others.

Thanks for the responses -- things are a little clearer.

Re: 1. guides/vehicles: Then would it follow that if one is planning a combo drive/fly safari, a TO's claims about superior guides and/or vehicles would apply only to the drive portion of the safari? If one is planning a combo fly/drive, what does one look for in a TO for the fly portions?

Re: 5. crossing the border between the Northern Serengeti and the Masai Mara: If the only practical way to travel between Kenya and Tanzania is to fly from one to the other via Nairobi and Kilimanjaro/Arusha, that sounds fairly expensive and time-consuming -- probably forcing us to choose one or the other but not both. Given that we would have to choose one over the other ten months or so in advance, would the Masai Mara be the better bet for the migration for early August?

Sorry for these questions, but we're trying to determine what is possible/practical/reasonable before we worry about specific TOs and camps. All help is appreciated!

Hi Neophyte, I'm a neophyte as well, having been on only one (combo fly/drive) safari. But I might be somewhat qualified to answer your query because we too had a group of four and I do believe you can get better deals with more travelers.

I think the way to go is to choose your camps, then get quotes from several local suppliers, making sure the estimates all include transfers, flights and park fees so you can compare apples to apples.

If you decide on Kenya, I can highly recommend Gamewatchers - www.porini.com. They can set you up in their remote, exclusive (but not fancy) Porini camps or in other camps of your choice. All of our flights, drives and transfers were incredibly well coordinated by Gamewatchers representatives, and we enjoyed having different guides and vehicles in different camps - all were superb.

We have many friends who have used private guides and mobile camps in Tanzania. They all loved the experience, but they way they did it was VERY costly (and maybe too remote - it was fun staying in 6-9 tent camps and meeting other travelers). We felt we had the same sort of off-the-beaten-path safari at a much more reasonable cost using established camps in community-owned conservancies adjacent to the reserves.

Bill,

Re: 1. guides/vehicles: Then would it follow that if one is planning a combo drive/fly safari, a TO's claims about superior guides and/or vehicles would apply only to the drive portion of the safari? If one is planning a combo fly/drive, what does one look for in a TO for the fly portions?

That is correct. The TO is providing no guides for the fly-in camps. My recommendation, if possible, is to do all fly-in camps. In general (obviously there are exceptions), in my experience Driver/guides at the camps are superior to those who drive you around as they live most of the times in the camps and are very familiar with the game nearby.

Re: 5. crossing the border between the Northern Serengeti and the Masai Mara: If the only practical way to travel between Kenya and Tanzania is to fly from one to the other via Nairobi and Kilimanjaro/Arusha, that sounds fairly expensive and time-consuming -- probably forcing us to choose one or the other but not both. Given that we would have to choose one over the other ten months or so in advance, would the Masai Mara be the better bet for the migration for early August?

This is a major problem in this part of the world- it is a fact that the only way to drive legally between Kenya & Tanzania is a long drive and flying is definitely the better way. You need to do your research to determine which country is "better"; there are definitely safari folks who have strong opinions that one country is better than the other. We chose to go to both and I am glad we did it. However, the time of your visit is a major part of deciding where to go- if you are going in August/September the Masai Mara will likely be spectacular for the migration, June or earlier, Tanzania is better.

August is better for the migration in Kenya's Masai Mara. However, depending how long your safari, you can visit the Ngorongoro Crater in Tanzania, with a flight from Nairobi to Kilimanjaro, an o/n in Arusha and drive to the crater next day.

While some camp guides provided if on a fly-in safari maybe better, there are many outstanding driving guides that are out weekly in the same areas and are as qualified if not better.

There are some complaints about guides - using mobile phones, on the two-way radios, language difficulty - but I can't recall comments about any downright terrible guides when it comes to game sighting, country history/knowlege, etc. Mostly it's "saw more game than we could have imagined" "he could spot a tiny critter from miles away" "identified an elephant we thought was a boulder" "saw the Big-5 all in one afternoon" and on and on.

Thanks, crosscheck, AKR1, and sandi -- and the previous responders. Your responses are helping us settle on our approach and our [initial] itinerary. Once we have that set, we can approach several Tour Operators.

I believe the advice in another thread is that we should plan to get quotes from several TOs for, ideally, the same itinerary, so that we can compare apples to apples. For the fly-in portions of our safari, should my contact with the TOs specify the camps, so we get an apples-to-apples comparison, or should I let them recommend camps and then try to sort out/interpret the differences from the various combinations of recommended camps? How about the driving portion of the safari? In general, how negotiable are the TO's initial quotes (for a safari in August 2011)?

Also, is it practical to plan a safari with two TOs, one for Kenya and one for Tanzania, e.g., if a recommended TO operates in one country but not the other. Could it be as simple as the first TO gets us to the departing airport to fly to the other country and the other TO picks us up at the arriving airport?

Yes, it's a good idea to get quotes from a few Tour Outfitters, maybe 4-5. Email all the same requirements: when, how many total in-country days, where you wish to visit (parks/reserves), type of accommodations (lodges/camps) - if there are specifics of interests do mention these - and your estimated budget. Then you can compare apples-to-apples. If from these 4-5, none suits your wishes, you can go back to them to fine tune or send to a few others.

As to visiting both countries... most all Outfitters in Kenya works with another in Tanzania (and vice versa) and thus should be able to quote both segments. Do ask whomever name of their partner in the other country.

Unless you have specific Kenya or Tanzania outfitters with whom you wish to work, then you can deal with each individually. And, once decision made advise each with whom you're working in the other to coordinate smooth transfers at borders whether by road or air.

Depending on where visiting, some can be done by fly-in and/or road, others only by road (there aren't airstrips everywhere), so will depend on your overall itinerary.

Negotiating price? Get them first and see where they fit with your budget. Of course, no harm asking, but no assurance especially during peak season which August is.